"A friend in need is a friend indeed," said an Egyptian renowned journalist and writer who leads an initiative in Egypt to express solidarity with China in its battle against the novel coronavirus.

Kamal Gaballa, an Egyptian columnist at state-run Al-Ahram newspaper and writer of the book "70 Years of Miracles" about China, spearheads an initiative through his supportive articles in solidarity with China and his field visits to the Chinese workers at the construction sites in joint projects in Egypt.

He wrote earlier this month articles published by Al-Ahram entitled "Effective initiative in solidarity with China" and "If China sneezes, global economy gets a flu," highlighting China's huge contribution to world economy and the necessity to support China in fighting COVID-19.

The epidemic that appeared in Wuhan city of central China's Hubei Province has claimed the lives of more than 2,300 Chinese so far.

"I wrote another article released today entitled 'Stay strong China! Hold on Wuhan!' This is a slogan chanted by all people who love China worldwide," Gaballa said on Sunday following the release of his article.

He said that he launched his initiative to express solidarity with China because China is a friendly state that has always been supportive of developing countries and stretching hands for cooperation with them via joint development projects.

Gaballa's latest article reads: "while China is vigorously fighting against COVID-19, I have received tens of phone calls from Egyptian organization and NGOs and emails from ordinary people, expressing their solidarity with China in response to what I called for two weeks ago, when I urged for popular initiatives in solidarity with China."

The article states that China is Egypt's largest trade partner, and highlights that Chinese and Egyptian hands are currently working together in the construction of 20 skyscrapers in the Egyptian new administrative capital city eastern Cairo.

Gaballa has recently made a field visit to the site of the project, talked with Chinese workers and engineers, spent the night in their camps, had breakfast and lunch with them and expressed solidarity with them and with all the Chinese people in their battle against the new epidemic.

Gaballa says in his latest article that the growing relations of comprehensive strategic partnership between Egypt and China "have wonderfully reflected on the close cooperation between the concerned authorities of both countries to take protective measures against coronavirus."

He also hailed Egypt's solidarity with China through sending 10 tons of medical supplies to the Asian country, considering it "a symbolic gift to the Chinese people."

The Egyptian columnist vowed to continue his initiative to mobilize the Egyptian public opinion to express solidarity with China during the ongoing hardship.

In his article "If China sneezes, global economy gets a flu," Gaballa emphasized that "China's massive financial and human resources cannot be beaten by the mere appearance of viruses."

"Meanwhile, economists expect that the economic impact of coronavirus will be limited to the first quarter of the current year. The Chinese economy will flourish again once the virus is put under control," the article quotes economists as saying.

The Egyptian columnist stressed that China plays a great role in global development, particularly in favor of developing states in Africa and the Arab region, including Egypt.

"Individuals, not only states, should express gratefulness to China for its support of their countries. It is time for the whole world to show support to China, even by a word of solidarity," Gaballa said. 

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