Chinese contractors have begun assisting the efforts of the Maldives to develop the infrastructure required to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a tweet, Ambassador of China to the Maldives Zhang Lizhong revealed China’s Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) has arranged a task force of 40 workers to help renovate a two-storey building in Hulhumale’ to a temporary quarantine facility of 37 beds. Additionally, the ambassador revealed China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has decided to send over 100 workers, along with equipment and materials, to build temporary facilities to house 800 expatriate workers in need.
BUCG is the contractor which developed the Code-F Runway in Velana International Airport (VIA). Prior to its decision to assist the renovation of a quarantine facility in Hulhumale’, the company had also previously donated 50 electronic masks to the staff of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). Meanwhile, CSCEC is the contractor which developed 7,000 housing units in phase two of Hulhumale’.
While Chinese contractors have begun assisting infrastructure development amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of China has provided the first batch of aid to the Maldives to fight the pandemic. The first batch of aid included 10,080 medical protective masks, 30,000 surgical masks, 10,000 single-use gloves, 5,000 stethoscopes, 200 goggles, and 500 personal protective suits.
Meanwhile, Alibaba Group of China has also pledged to provide aid for the Maldives in the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The company has pledged a donation of 1.8 million masks, 210,000 test kits, 36,000 protective suits as well as ventilators and thermometers to be distributed among 10 countries, including the Maldives.