A worker loads medical materials donated by East China's Zhejiang Province to Milan, Italy on March 17. Photo: cnsphoto

China is currently paying back countries that have offered help to China when it was at its most difficult moment fighting against the COVID-19. 

Italy is fighting one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the world. The number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 92,472 as of Sunday morning with a death toll of 10,023.

China has been offering help during Italy's battle against the pandemic. On Friday, the third expert team from East China's Fujian Province arrived in Milan to begin assisting the Toscana region. The plane they arrived in brought donated medical supplies, including ventilators, monitors and masks.

China's first medical team was sent to Rome on March 12, bringing 31 tons of medical supplies. The team consisted of experts from Southwest China's Sichuan Province. The second team, from East China's Zhejiang Province, arrived in Milan six days later.

Chinese companies including Xiaomi and Alibaba have sent supplies to Italy. "We are waves from the same sea, leaves from the same tree, flowers from the same garden," Xiaomi wrote on its donation packages, quoting the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca. 

The Chinese Embassy in Italy on Friday posted photos of an Italian medical team aiding Sichuan in 2008 after the Wenchuan earthquake that killed more than 69,000. "A friend in need is a friend indeed," the post read in Italian. In 2008, 14 Italian emergency rescue experts helped save more than 900 people trapped in Sichuan. In 1988, the Sichuan Emergency Center was founded with Italy's help.

During the severe outbreak of COVID-19 in China, many Italians expressed their concerns to the Chinese people. Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, Italy, started an activity on Twitter on February 1 with the hashtag #AbbracciaUnCinese, meaning "Embrace a Chinese," with the aim of combating discrimination among Italians. The move was welcomed by many Chinese netizens.

Pakistan donated a substantial amount of masks from its public hospitals to China to fight COVID-19. The supplies from Pakistan arrived in China on February 1, including 300,000 medical masks, 800 protective suits and 6,800 gloves.

China is now returning the favor. On Saturday, a team of Chinese experts departed from Urumqi in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Pakistan together with 10,000 medical N95 masks, 100,000 masks, 5000 protective suits, 12 respirators and 10,000 nucleic test kits. 

On Friday, China temporarily opened the Khunjerab Pass on the China-Pakistan border in Xinjiang to send 2 tons of medical supplies to Pakistan. 

Aside from sending medical supplies and medical teams, China also shared its experience with the international community. With the advice of Chinese experts, Serbia converted a fair hall into a makeshift hospital with 3,000 beds to receive and isolate patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections.