By Shannon Tiezzi
The PLA is playing a leading role in China’s fight against the Ebola outbreak.
According to the World Health Organization’s latest report, Ebola has now claimed 4,920 lives, almost all in west Africa. The number of Ebola cases is at 13,703 and counting – Mali just reported its first case on October 23, making it the eighth country to be affected. As the world scrambles to respond to the epidemic, help is coming from a surprising source: China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
China has been active in the fight against Ebola. Beijing sent four rounds of aid to west Africa, representing a total value of $122 million. “Through the four batches of assistance, China’s message is clear: Ebola is a common public health threat to all countries,” China’s UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, explained. China’s contributions to Ebola have been well covered; what’s less well-known is that most of these contributions are being handled by the PLA.
As Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun pointed out in a regular monthly press conference, much of China’s aid is delivered by the military. The PLA is “responsible for mobilizing and transporting the Chinese government’s humanitarian aids to relevant western African countries,” Yang said. For example, newly announced plans to construct an Ebola treatment center in Liberia will be realized by the Chinese military. “Relevant work is already underway,” Yang said.
In addition to handling the logistics of Chinese aid, the PLA has also sent doctors, nurses, and other medical experts both to treat patients and to provide technical training in epidemic prevention. These experts “are currently fighting at the frontline of the battle against Ebola,” Yang said.
Read the full story at The Diplomat