Serbia has the highest number of people infected by COVID-19 in the Western Balkans. At the same time, the country has one of the lowest death rates from the virus in Europe. 

The country's health authorities say that one of the reasons for this is the substantial medical help that came from China, at the very beginning of the outbreak. The first batch arrived on 21 March, just five days after the state of emergency was declared in the country. 

Onboard the Air Serbia's A330 was much needed medical equipment, ventilators, PPE suits, and also a team of six COVID-19 combat-hardened Chinese medics. Over a month later, the epidemic in Serbia started slowing down, and part of that team left the country. But before that, Serbia's defense minister handed military medals to the entire team of Chinese medical experts. 

It was a token of appreciation towards their work in helping combat the pandemic in Serbia. On advice from these experts, Serbia adopted practices such as isolating even mild cases of the virus in field hospitals and implemented a Wuhan-style strict lockdown, with those over the age of 65 confined to their homes at all times.

At the ceremony in the Serbian Ministry of Defence, Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo said: "Remaining members of the team will stay here in Serbia. But if it is required, and needed by Serbia, China will send more medics here."

At the height of the pandemic, a bridge between China and Serbia was established in the skies. As a rapidly growing need for face masks emerged, a solution was offered by the Chinese side to import face masks production machines and so Serbia could make its own. 

Air Serbia's Airbus A330 delivered those machines from Shanghai. They were installed and started production in record time by Healthcare Europe in the town of Ruma, just 60 kilometers west of Belgrade.

The company's Chief Operating Officer Aleksandar Andersen Podravac told CGTN about this unique endeavor.

"This is one good example of how good our cooperation can be. I mean, it's not usual to see such a plant in Europe only three weeks after it is ordered from the Chinese factory. So, this is first-class and world-class cooperation."

The production line here works 24 hours a day and will soon reach its designed capacity of producing almost 200 thousand face masks. All of these masks are being bought by the Serbian government, primarily for its healthcare workers.