China has paid tribute to a Chinese doctor in Tanzania who died saving a woman in distress in the sea, saying his heroism exemplified the deep China-Africa friendship and the dedication of Chinese medical teams.
Zhang Junqiao, a 38-year-old anaesthesiologist working in Tanzania as part of a Chinese medical team, went to the aid of the drowning Tanzanian woman off Dar es Salaam on June 15. Images from the scene showed Zhang keeping her afloat while helping her into a life jacket moments before he went under the waves.
Zhang died despite his colleagues’ efforts to rescue him.
On Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry hailed Zhang’s actions as an embodiment of China-Africa ties and the “dedication, commitment, love and fighting spirit of Chinese medical teams”.
Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun expressed his deep condolences to Zhang’s family.
