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The Chinese government has facilitated a donation of 1,000 ventilators to New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday.
“This is a big deal and it’s going to make a significant difference for us,” Cuomo said during a press briefing.
Cuomo also said New York was conducting business with Chinese companies and cited China as a repository of essential medical equipment. He thanked Jack Ma and Joe Tsai, founders of the Chinese e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba, as well as Huang Ping, the Chinese Consul General in New York.
Cuomo also said the state had put in an order for 17,000 ventilators but that the order went unfilled, likely due to intense competition for the machines and global shortages. The US national stockpile has roughly 10,000 ventilators.