A donation of 20 invasive ventilators and 1.86 million pieces of personal protective equipment, or PPE, will be delivered to the United Kingdom for distribution, as the nation battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donated by China Chamber of Commerce (CCCUK) member, the Bank of China, the ventilators already arrived in London on Monday, and 65 metric tons of PPE are now at Shanghai Pudong Airport ready for transfer. They will be received by Lord Mayor's Appeal, or LMA, the official charity of City of London.

The equipment includes 722,000 surgical masks, 100,000 N95 masks, 19,000 surgical gowns, 19,000 goggles, and one million pairs of medical latex gloves.

On Wednesday, Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador to the United Kingdom, said during an online donation ceremony, that China and the UK have a "firm determination" to join hands to overcome current difficulties.

Liu said: "The virus does not respect borders. The virus does not discriminate. People of the world must work together if we are to win this battle." He said the donation demonstrates "the global vision of Chinese businesses" and "the friendship between China and the UK".

"It is also a vivid illustration of the China-UK 'Golden Era'," he added.

William Russell, the Lord Mayor of London, said the generosity of CCCUK, Bank of China and its broader community "really is astounding".

"The ventilators and PPE equipment on their way to hospitals, to healthcare professionals, and to communities across the UK will, quite literally, save lives," he said.

The CCCUK organized a fundraiser titled "UK and China, United We Stand" on Feb 28, to support China's fight against novel coronavirus outbreak at that time.

"Back then, it was the City of London showing its commitment to China," Russell said. "And now, China is reciprocating, and showing its commitment to the UK."

Fang Wenjian, chairman of the chamber and general manager of Bank of China London Branch, said the current situation in the UK is similar to the situation in China "not long ago", and so "the CCCUK has asked our members to do all we can to contribute to the UK's fight against the virus.

"Following the call, Bank of China, with strong support from our head office and domestic branches in China, has moved quickly to procure much needed ventilators and PPE, and donate them to the LMA to be passed to the National Health Service (NHS), caring homes, and local communities," he said.

The CCCUK said that the batch of medical supplies will be the first of many donations received by the LMA from Chinese enterprises in the UK.

"Many other Chinese companies have also shown their commitment to donating more ventilators and PPE. The CCCUK and LMA will work together to facilitate the provision of these critical materials to where they are needed most," Fang said.