As China slowly contains the spread of the coronavirus, Chinese companies are now looking to provide support to other countries that are just starting to feel the impact of the spread. Automotive giant Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is currently working with the Li Shufu Charity Foundation to accumulate medical supplies, which it plans to donate to European countries such as the UK, Germany, and Sweden.
The foundation, which is funded by Geely's chairman, aims to donate epidemic-fighting medical supplies such as protective clothing, goggles, face masks, and medical gloves worth around 2 million yuan. The items will be vital to frontline emergency workers in Europe who are just now fighting to control the spread of the virus in the region.
New cases in China have now slowly declined amid the strict regulations put in place by the government to halt the spread of the virus. However, in other countries, the cases are rapidly escalating. Outside of China, confirmed cases of the coronavirus have surged to over 130,000. Most of the heavily hit countries are currently those in Europe.
Italy currently has the most cases in the region, with over 40,000 confirmed cases. European countries such as Germany and Spain are also seeing drastically increasing cases, with Germany having more than 15,000 and Spain having more than 18,000 confirmed cases.
Geely mentioned in a statement that it intends to send more donations to the European nations if the epidemic intensifies in the region. So far, the automaker has managed to set up donations of more than 200 million yuan as part of its contribution to fighting the spread of the virus both domestically and internationally.
The company currently has more than 50,000 people employed outside of China. Apart from securing its employees at home, Geely stated that it is working closely with its international branches to help its employees during the crisis. Geely currently owns several international car brands, including Volvo, Proton, and Lotus.
The Chinese company has so far allotted substantial medical supplies to its facilities. Just recently, the company sent more than 10,000 masks to its Benelli motorbike factory in China, Italy, and Austria for its employees.
As a whole, the European automotive market is in shambles after several global automakers announced the shutdown of production in the region. This has exacerbated the already dire situation the industry is facing amid the slowed demand. The spread of the coronavirus in Europe has also caused massive damage to the region's economy, with most countries already declaring severe restrictions and strict lockdowns.
