BEIJING: China on Friday defended its response to the Ebola outbreak, after leaders including US President Barack Obama called on the world to do more to contain the deadly virus.
The virus has already killed around 4,500 people, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization.
Beijing's diplomatic and economic footprint across Africa has expanded hugely in recent years as it seeks resources to power its economy.
Since the beginning of the year, China has given West African countries a total of 234 million yuan ($38.2 million) in emergency assistance, including disease prevention and control materials, grain and cash, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday announced an additional aid package worth 100 million yuan ($16.3 million), including ambulances, motorcycles, and medical kits, Hong said, adding that Beijing also plans to send "dozens of experts" to train 10,000 medical personnel and community workers.
"We also sent nearly 200 Chinese medical staff to the western African countries to fight against Ebola together with the people there," Hong said.
"All these measures are well-recognised by the international community and warmly acclaimed by the West African countries and international organisations like the UN."
China's defence comes days after Obama urged world leaders to do more to stem the spread of the virus, saying that "if we are not responding internationally in an effective way ... then we could have problems".
Several US officials have also taken anonymous swipes at China's response, with one suggesting to Yahoo! News this week that Beijing would distribute aid to countries with an eye towards maximising its own economic benefit.
"Just watch. It'll be for Sierra Leone, because: diamonds," an official said.
It is not the first time that Beijing's relief efforts have come under criticism.
Last year, after Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines -- with which China is embroiled in a long-running territorial row -- Beijing was roundly criticised for offering only an initial $100,000 in support.
In addition to Beijing's latest round of aid, a Chinese pharmaceutical company is sending an experimental Ebola drug to Chinese aid workers in Africa.
Sihuan Pharmaceutical purchased the rights to the JK-05 drug -- which has not yet been tested on humans, limiting the evidence for its effectiveness -- from China's Academic of Military Medical Sciences last week, it said.
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