"How is everyone? Don't worry, we are with you!" On February 4, Nina from Southern Moravia of the Czech Republic called Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, expressing concern for the COVID-19 epidemic in Hainan, and informing that their governor has decided to arrange a special fund to help purchase medical supplies in urgent need for Hainan. Establishing sisterhood relationship less than three years ago, Hainan and Southern Moravia has become closer than ever in the face of the epidemic.

In the next few days, more and more international sister provinces of Hainan reached out and offered support. Governor Won Hee-ryong of Jeju Province of South Korea personally recorded a video to cheer for Hainan. Prince Edward Island of Canada and other sister provinces in North America said that they would try their best to collect and purchase related prevention items locally as soon as possible. In particular, Hyogo Prefecture of Japan, as Hainan's first international sister province, was also the first to lend a helping hand by donating a total of 108,000 disposable masks to support Hainan's prevention and control of the virus.

So far, Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office has received more than 20 letters of condolence from sister provinces around the world, raised and received over one million medical masks and 3,000 pairs of latex gloves from Thailand, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United States and other places. In the coming days, another one million medical masks, goggles and protective suits donated by sister provinces and foreign friends or commissioned them to purchase will arrived in Hainan soon.

"The mutual care and support between sister provinces and cities in difficult times fully demonstrates the love and spirit of internationalism that transcends national boundaries. It is also a proof of our long-term efforts to promote international friendly exchanges," said Director-General Wang Sheng of Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, believing that the timely support from all foreign friends will boost our strength, courage and confidence to win the battle against the epidemic.