HOUSTON — Staff from St Francis Medical Center in Monroe, US state of Louisiana, received free meals on May 6 and 7 donated by the Chinese Consulate General in Houston.

The donation, worth more than $11,000, was made by the consulate general through the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum in the city.

In a letter to the people in Monroe, Chinese Council General in Houston Cai Wei said that while continuing the fight against the virus at home, China has offered help and conducted cooperation with the international community to the best of our ability, adding that "all countries' interests are closely entwined in a shared future."

"While there are lots of 'headwinds' in the China-US relationship currently, China has never doubted for a moment that friendship between peoples of our two great nations will ever be changed," read the letter.

The meals were bought by the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum from a local restaurant using the donation from the consulate general.

"They wanted to reach out the hand of friendship and wanted to be able to help medical workers at St Francis," Nell Calloway, granddaughter of General Claire Lee Chennault and CEO of the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, told local TV KNOE 8.

General Claire Lee Chennault headed the wartime Flying Tigers pilots to fight Japanese invaders in China during World War II.