Photo: Courtesy of Iranian embassy in China

A number of foreign embassies in China and ambassadors joined the country’s national day of mourning for COVID-19 victims on Saturday in different ways. 

Embassies of the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iran, Italy, Argentina and Togo lowered their flags at half-mast to pray for the victims amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

“Iran will always stand with China to fight the coronavirus,” wrote Iranian Ambassador to China, Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh, in a tweet in Chinese on Saturday. The ambassador prayed for the dead and paid tribute to heroes in the fight while calling on nations to be united to defeat the deadly virus, the human beings’ enemy. 

Clare Fearnley, New Zealand Ambassador to China, said she would join Chinese people for the three-minute period of silence on Saturday morning, according to a post on New Zealand Embassy’s Weibo account.  

Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov also said in a video to Chinese netizens that the Russian people are mourning for the victims together with the Chinese people. 

Embassies like the US and South Korea posted their mourning on social platforms for the victims. 

The national day of mourning coincides with China’s Qingming festival or Tomb Sweeping Day, a time when Chinese pay tribute to their deceased family members and ancestors. 

The Japanese Embassy in China sent their respects for medical personnel fighting at the frontline against the virus and mourned the victims during Tomb Sweeping Day. 

Global Times