A Chinese team of medical experts has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a three-month frontline mission to contain an expanding Ebola outbreak across a mining region with extensive Beijing-backed mineral investments.
The five-member team of specialists in epidemiology, clinical medicine, research and traditional Chinese medicine arrived in the capital Kinshasa on Tuesday.
According to China’s National Health Commission, the experts will work with local authorities to strengthen Ebola prevention and treatment capacity, providing training and epidemic-control guidance for local medical institutions, Chinese-funded enterprises and local Chinese communities.
The deployment marks a major moment for Beijing’s health diplomacy in a region central to its economic interests, given the high number of Chinese investors seeking gold and other critical minerals.
It also stands in stark contrast with the approach taken by the United States, which has focused on barring travellers from the outbreak zone and building a divisive isolation facility in Kenya for its own personnel.
