NANJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The city of Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu Province, has donated a batch of medical supplies to the city of Dire Dawa in Ethiopia to help fight COVID-19, local authorities said Wednesday.

The supplies, worth about 500,000 yuan (about 70,000 U.S. dollars), include five ventilators, 50,000 disposable masks, 5,120 KN95 masks and 600 protective suits. They were jointly raised by the Kunshan municipal government, a local charity foundation and several enterprises.

The supplies offer timely support for Dire Dawa to curb the epidemic, Mayor of Dire Dawa Ahmed Buhen said at a local ceremony to receive the donation on Tuesday, according to the Kunshan municipal government.

Ahmed Buhen also expressed the hope that the two cities will maintain a lasting friendship and continue to deepen cooperation.

The two cities formed friendly relations in 2018 and they have successfully collaborated on several projects through sharing industrial park management experience.