China's Foreign Ministry Vows Ebola Aid to DR Congo Three Times: Medical Teams Reach Kinshasa as Embassy Orders Gold Miners to Register and Eastern Citizens to Leave

As the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), declared in May, continues to spread, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokespersons addressed China's assistance three times at regular press briefings, on June 1, June 22 and August 4: the Chinese government has provided emergency humanitarian aid to the DRC and dispatched successive medical expert teams, with the third team arriving in the capital, Kinshasa, on August 1. Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in the DRC issued repeated security notices in August, urging Chinese citizens in high-risk eastern provinces to evacuate or relocate as soon as possible, and requiring Chinese companies and individuals engaged in gold mining in the country to register with the embassy, with illegal mining prohibited.

On June 1, spokesperson Lin Jian said that, following China's all-out support for three West African countries against Ebola in 2015, China would actively help the DRC and other countries facing the new outbreak. Lin noted that Foreign Minister Wang Yi, chairing a high-level UN Security Council meeting in New York, had said China rushes to help in major public crises. The Chinese government decided to provide emergency humanitarian aid to the DRC and to dispatch a medical expert team; on top of bilateral assistance, China would also aid the African Union Commission, carry out epidemic-prevention cooperation, and support the Africa CDC. Lin added that China currently has 45 medical teams with more than 900 personnel in 44 African countries, standing alongside African people on the front line of the response.

On June 22, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China was closely following the Ebola outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda, had promptly provided emergency humanitarian aid to the DRC and the African Union, and had dispatched a medical expert team carrying urgently needed medicines and supplies; the team arrived in Kinshasa on June 2 and quickly began work. Given the severity of the outbreak, the Chinese government decided to provide a further round of emergency humanitarian aid to the DRC, Uganda and the African Union, and would continue to offer support within its capacity according to African countries' needs.

On August 4, Lin Jian said the third batch of Chinese government medical experts assisting the DRC had arrived in Kinshasa on August 1. The team comprises specialists in epidemiology, health quarantine, clinical care and pathogen laboratory testing, and would build on the work of the previous teams and deepen cooperation with the DRC side and international organizations. Lin said that, with the epidemic still spreading, China was ready to continue deploying its medical professionals in Africa and to keep providing support within its capacity to help Africa through the crisis.

On security, the Chinese Embassy in the DRC issued security situation notices on August 5, 13 and 26, stating that the country's security situation is complex and grave: a new Ebola outbreak has hit the east, security in North Kivu and South Kivu has deteriorated sharply, and conditions in Ituri and Upper Uele remain worrying, with armed groups including M23, ADF and CODECO active. The notices state that Chinese citizens must not travel to the extremely high-risk provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Upper Uele, and that citizens and companies still there should evacuate or move to safe areas as soon as possible; travel to nine other provinces, including Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, should be avoided unless necessary. The notices specifically ask Chinese citizens in the country who have not yet registered to do so with the embassy promptly, and require companies and individuals engaged in gold mining to register with the embassy. Earlier embassy safety reminders also require Chinese citizens and companies mining in the country to register with DRC authorities, obtain exploration and mining permits as required by law, comply with local tax, labor and environmental rules, and prohibit illegal mining.

The outbreak continues to grow. According to the latest figures from DRC health authorities and international agencies, confirmed Ebola cases in the country have passed 10,060, with 4,887 deaths, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the DRC's history.

Related: Follow-Up: DR Congo Ebola Cases Pass 10,060 With 4,887 Deaths, the Country's Deadliest Outbreak on Record

Related: Clashes Rage and Ebola Cases Top 9,000 in Eastern DR Congo, Putting Chinese Residents at Risk

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 刚果（金）首都金沙萨贡贝区实景（Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0）| La Gombe district in Kinshasa, capital of the DR Congo (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

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