As early as February－the most critical period in China's fight against the virus, Russia delivered 23 metric tons of medical supplies to hard-hit Wuhan, Hubei province. Last month, 25.5 tons of supplies sent by the Chinese government arrived in Moscow, according to the Chinese embassy in the Russian capital.

On April 20, during a video conference on the fight against the pandemic, Russian President Vladimir Putin described Sino-Russian relations as a "neighboring friendship during this difficult time".

He added, "When our Chinese friends encountered difficulties in February, we sent 2 million masks to them. Now, we have received 150 million masks from China."

Anatolia Sinitsin, 23, a student at Moscow State University, posted on Twitter: "We are so glad to hear masks and medical gloves are coming to Moscow. It's quite difficult to find them in pharmacies. I hope the supplies can meet the needs of we Russians as much as possible."

Advice was eagerly sought from the Chinese medical experts during their weeklong stay in Russia.

In Moscow, the team members met people from different walks of life, ranging from Chinese students to Russian officials and doctors. They also visited Kommunarka hospital, the main institution in Moscow treating patients infected with the virus.