Friendly cities around the world, including Shanghai’s sister cities, are sending solidarity messages and donating medical supplies, according to the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office.

From South Korea, Jeollabuk-do governor Song Ha-jin sent a consolation letter to Shanghai on January 30, the first of its kind from an international city or area to Shanghai. It established a friendly relationship with Shanghai in 2003.

Oh Keo-don, mayor of the South Korea city of Busan, which became Shanghai’s sister city in 1993, has made a video to show support for Shanghai and confidence in China to overcome the epidemic. The city has donated 10,000 face masks, 1,000 pairs of goggles, 500 protective outfits and 6,000 medical gloves to Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the government of Jeollanam-do has also purchased 10,000 KF94 face masks and will deliver them to Shanghai on February 18. The Jeju-do government has raised 25,000 N95 masks to donate to Shanghai, which will arrive in the city soon. The two places partnered with Shanghai for friendly exchanges in 1996 and 2009 respectively.

Yokohama, in Japan, which became Shanghai’s first sister city in 1973, has allocated 10,000 face masks from its disaster reserves to Shanghai.

In a letter to Shanghai, Yokohama’s Mayor Fumiko Hayashi said: “As a neighbor of China and a sister city of Shanghai, Yokohama wish to provide support in your fight against the epidemic. If Shanghai needs other things, please contact Yokohama.”

Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, both sister cities of Shanghai, have also sent letters to Shanghai, praying for the health and safety of the Chinese people. Osaka Prefecture announced on Tuesday that it will donate 5,000 protective outfits to Shanghai and make further donations according to developments in the epidemic situation. Its Hirakata City also donated 21,000 masks to Shanghai’s Changning District.

Nagasaki Prefecture, which is a sister city of many provinces and cities in China, and its capital Nagasaki City have jointly donated 100,000 surgical masks, 40,000 protective outfits, goggles and other items to Shanghai and places in Fujian, Hubei and Guangdong provinces. The prefecture’s Omura City also donated 15,000 masks to Changning, the Nagasaki Prefectural University donated another 15,000 masks to Hubei University and Sasebo City donated 2,000 masks to Shenyang in Liaoning Province and Xiamen in Fujian Province each. On the boxes of the donations, they wrote: "Keep it up, China! Keep it up, Shanghai!"

Directors of international affairs offices of Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston, Shanghai’s three sister cities in the US, have all expressed solidarity with Shanghai via email or phone calls.

Chinese-Americans in the three cities and Chinese people there have donated more than US$500,000 of medical supplies to Shanghai and Wuhan, and they are continuing to raise funds and purchase supplies to support Shanghai and other places in China in fighting the novel coronavirus.

Organizations in Utah, US, have also donated 22,000 surgical masks, 870 pairs of goggles and 6,500 protective outfits to Shanghai.

In Europe, governments in cities like Salzburg in Austria and organizations including China Partnership in Liverpool have donated funds for purchases of badly needed medical protective supplies, or are purchasing masks and protective outfits for medical staff on the frontline in the fight against the epidemic.

Alderman William Russell, the Lord Mayor of City of London, and Catherine McGuinness, Chair of Policy and Resources of City of London, both expressed their support for Shanghai.

Port of Spain, capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies, also donated 10,000 N95 masks to Shanghai, which were handed over by its mayor Joel Martinez to China’s ambassador Song Yumin on Sunday.

“The people of Trinidad and Tobago stand in solidarity with the people of the People’s Republic of China and the people of Shanghai in this time of crisis. We stand together to help them fight the coronavirus, as it is not just an epidemic that affected China, it affected the whole world,” said Martinez.