In late April, supplies sent from Beijing arrived in its sister cities to support their fight against the epidemic. The Mayor of Cologne and the Mayor of Rome expressed appreciation on local government websites for Beijing's donations.

Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker: Thanks for Beijing's timely help

On the city's official website, Mayor Henriette Reker thanked Beijing for sending the supplies at the crucial moment, commending the move as a model of friendship between sister cities. She noted that Beijing's donations would play an important role in helping Cologne fight COVID-19, and hoped that her city, like Beijing, could effectively and promptly contain the epidemic.

Screenshot from the website of Cologne

She also thanked Michael Josipovic, Director of the Economic Promotion Department of Cologne and honoree of the 2013 Chinese Government Friendship Award, and Meng Zhou, advisor to the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan affairs and affairs of overseas Chinese and China affairs advisor to the government of Cologne, acknowledging their great roles in communication and coordination.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Beijing and Cologne have maintained close cooperation and provided mutual assistance in the fight against the epidemic. Soon after the outbreak, Ms. Reker sent a letter to Beijing expressing confidence in China winning the fight and offering to donate medical supplies. In a video recorded specifically for Beijing, she spoke encouragingly in Chinese, “Stay strong, China; stay strong, Beijing; and stay strong, Wuhan.”

Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker (R) and donations from Beijing

Cologne was among the first to send Beijing its donations. The city government gathered medical supplies via various channels, including repurposing a batch of materials from the limited reserves of its municipal hospital. Given that it takes a long time to transport materials from Cologne to Beijing and the Beijing-Düsseldorf flights were about to be canceled, the city of Cologne and the consulate general of China in Düsseldorf urgently coordinated with an airline and passengers to bring eight boxes of medical supplies to the last flight, which arrived in Beijing on February 13.

Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi: They are a symbol of friendship between the capitals of China and Italy

Virginia Raggi, Mayor of Rome, outlined the varieties and quantity of the materials donated by Beijing on the city's website. She praised Beijing's donations as a symbol of friendship between the capitals of China and Italy, promising to deliver the materials to frontline medical workers as prompt as possible.

Screenshot from the website of the City of Rome

At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, Ms. Raggi voiced support for Beijing on Twitter. She also went to a local Chinese restaurant to express sympathies and support to the local Chinese community.

According to an official from the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office, the official statements of the two mayors show that the two cities agree with what China has been advocating – “in the face of COVID-19, solidarity and cooperation is our most powerful weapon.” This is conducive to gaining public support in the West and enhancing consensus on international cooperation with China in epidemic containment.

Photos from the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality