Duterte met Chinese envoy Wednesday on COVID-19 response: Palace

MANILA- President Rodrigo Duterte met with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian Wednesday to discuss measures imposed by Manila and Beijing to control the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Duterte received assurances from Huang on China’s “readiness to extend assistance,” Malacañang said in a statement.

“Huang expressed solidarity with the Philippine government in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Chinese ambassador also conveyed China’s readiness to extend assistance,” the Palace said on Thursday.

Malacañang said Duterte also noted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s handling of the outbreak.

The meeting came a day before President Duterte was scheduled to get tested for COVID-19 and days after he placed the entire Philippines under a state of public health emergency to arrest the spread of the pathogen.

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Duterte sympathized with the Chinese people affected by the outbreak, according to the statement.

Despite tight medical supplies, Malacañang said the Philippines still donated 52 boxes to the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was first reported late last year.

The Philippines confirmed Wednesday 49 cases of the disease and 2 deaths, including the first Filipino COVID-19 fatality.

Globally, cases of the disease rose to 124,000 with over 4,500 deaths according to the Department of Health.

The World Health Organization has also classified the spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic due to "the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction."

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-with a report from Reuters