File photo of Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. (Photo: Xinhua)

Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the U.S., on Sunday called on China and the U.S. to work together against the coronavirus, as COVID-19 continues to sweep across the world. 
"We will always remember that in our most difficult days, our friends in so many places – many of them Americans, many of them New Yorkers – offered us a helping hand. We stand ready now to repay their kindness and help them make it through too," Cui said in an article published in the New York Times. 
"There has been unpleasant talk between our nations about this disease. But this is not the time for finger-pointing. This is a time for solidarity, collaboration and mutual support," Cui said.
"That is why over 100 Chinese public health experts have traveled abroad to save lives. That is why we are sending test kits, protective masks and medical equipment to overrun hospitals in the United States and many other countries. That is why we are sharing expertise and hard-learned lessons with countries seeking information and answers."
The ambassador said China has been providing updates about the disease in a responsible manner, including setting up an online COVID-19 knowledge center that's available to all countries and that the country is doing whatever it can to support the United States and other countries in need. 
New York, America's epicenter of the pandemic, is one of the biggest destinations of China's assistance, Cui said. 
"We are facilitating the U.S. government's purchase of personal protective equipment made in China. Indeed, factories are operating in full swing to fulfill the orders of medical supplies from New York State and other parts of America. China's provincial and city governments are rushing to help their sister states and cities in America too. And donations are pouring in from the country's business sector."