A party of health workers from the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan is in São Tomé and Príncipe to undertake the 17th Chinese medical mission to that country, the West China Second University Hospital says.

Having trained for the mission for nearly nine months, the party arrived in São Tomé and Príncipe on Sunday to begin 18 months of work there, the Sichuan hospital announced in writing on Wednesday.

Separately, her embassy issued a written statement quoting Chinese Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe Xu Yingzhen as urging the party, in welcoming remarks delivered online, to keep up the effort to improve health care in the country.

The party is keen to work closely with São Toméan doctors to introduce new technology and start healthcare projects, the statement quotes the leader of the mission, Yang Yi, as saying.