Expat professionals living and working in China are doing what they can to fight against the coronavirus epidemic along with their Chinese colleagues.

Whether they’re newly arrived expat entrepreneurs or upscale winners of China’s coveted Magnolia Award, internationals in the country are doing their best to be of use during the country-wide health crisis. In Shanghai, members of the newly founded Magnolia Huangpu Club who’ve received the Gold or Silver awards are organising donations of materials as well as cash to be used to fight the epidemic on all fronts.

The crucial financial help isn’t just limited to Shanghai and its immediate region, with board members from the Deloitte Public Welfare Fund donating half a million yuan to a major Wuhan charity and Sony Group giving another million yuan to the China Charity Foundation. CapitaLand Group is donating 10 million yuan to the proposed For Tomorrow and Health charity fund and Wuhan’s Tongji Hospital’s efforts in the clinical diagnosis of the virus are being aided by three million yuans’ worth of CT equipment sent from Canon Medical.

Another four millions’ worth of equipment and one million in cash came from Friesland to the China Women’s Foundation, and Coty Inc has sent 1.5 million yuan to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation. Corporate giving on this vast scale has never before been seen in China, and even although it benefits the companies who’ve contributed as well as the various charity recipients, it’s an indication that the vast gap between the West and the Far East is closing at last, hopefully to the benefit of all.