BEIJING - China has actively joined hands with the rest of the world to stem the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with the exports of medical supplies registering 10.2 billion yuan (about $1.43 billion) as of Saturday from March 1.

The items of medical supplies include 3.86 billion face masks, 37.52 million protective suits, 2.41 million infrared thermometers, as well as ventilators, testing kits and goggles, Jin Hai, an official with the General Administration of Customs, told a news briefing Sunday.

The country will never throttle the outflow of medical supplies since the sincere help once offered by other countries when it fights hard against the epidemic will always be remembered, said Jiang Fan, a commerce ministry official.

China has always paid close attention to the quality and safety of medical supplies exports and exercised strict management over related products, she said.

In a move to strengthen quality control, the customs will only release such medical exports based on certificates of registration approved by medical product administrations and documentation to prove they meet the quality-control standards of respective export destinations.

Jiang suggested overseas buyers of medical products to purchase from suppliers whose products have been registered with Chinese regulators, verify product quality before bringing them into use, and strictly follow the operation procedures and scope of application.

China is willing to work with the international community to create a good environment for medical supplies exports and support the global battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.