Airport staff unload boxes of face masks and medical supplies from an airplane of Air China, in Athens, Greece, March 21, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted claims that Beijing is stockpiling medical supplies, stressing that the Chinese authorities have assisted over 120 countries and four international organizations in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The ministry's spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Tuesday China has donated medical supplies to over 50 countries and signed procurement deals with 30 nations and two international organizations.

An aircraft carrying personal protective equipment donated by China, along with U.S.-purchased medical supplies, arrived in New York on Sunday, the first of many organized by the White House over the next 30 days to fight the coronavirus.

The supplies, according to the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., consist of 12 million gloves, 130,000 N-95 masks, 1.7 million surgical masks, 50,000 gowns, 130,000 hand sanitizer units and 36,000 thermometers.

While promising to continue exporting medical supplies and providing necessary convenience to international procurement, Hua acknowledged the great pressure China is faced with in preventing the resurgence of the coronavirus.

She said that keeping the domestic situation under control is not only the priority for China, but also a great contribution to the international community.