Workers check the donated epidemic-prevention materials that will be sent to Shenzhen's sister cities, March 18, 2020. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Shenzhen in Guangdong province, sent its first batch of donated epidemic-prevention materials to Milan, Italy, and Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday. They are two of its eight sister cities.

The coronavirus pandemic has struck 167 countries in the world, and Shenzhen wants to lend a helping hand to curb its spread.

So far, it has donated 270,000 surgical masks and other badly needed medical supplies to its eight sister cities, including Bern, Switzerland.

The donation was arranged by the foreign affairs office of the city government, along with the Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation, the Shenzhen Social Organization Federation and some other guilds.

Shenzhen's sister cities donated masks, protective clothing, gloves and money earlier during the most difficult stages of the fight against the virus.

As of Wednesday, Shenzhen had reported 427 cases of infection. Of those, 407 people have recovered and were discharged from the hospital.

The pandemic is a common enemy for everyone in the world, and Shenzhen will do its best to repay its sister cities' kindness, a statement from the city's foreign affairs office said.

On Sunday, the Shenzhen Mammoth Public Welfare Foundation donated rapid COVID-19 nucleic acid testing kits to Serbia. It was the first batch of foreign aid to be received by the European country.

The testing kits were developed by Shenzhen BGI Genomics Technology Co. It takes about three hours for them to deliver results.

So far, aside from Serbia, the foundation has donated thousands of testing kits to Japan, Peru, Angola and the Philippines.