Canada's planes sent to China for coronavirus medical supplies returned empty, Trudeau says

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Two planes sent from Canada to China to pick up much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) returned empty on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

Both aircraft were sent to China to pick up the equipment on behalf of the federal government and an unnamed province. Trudeau said "severe restrictions" for how long an aircraft is allowed to wait on the ground in China forced the planes to take off empty.

"Supply lines and truck shipments to the airports are difficult and interrupted by checkpoints and quarantine measures. For the most part, we've been able to navigate through those and ensure that Canada has received the equipment that it needs," he said during his daily briefing outside his Ottawa residence.

He said Canada expects to receive more PPE in the coming days and weeks. It was not clear if he will send planes back to China to pick up more PPE shipments.

“We have been fighting in a very competitive international environment where everyone is looking for PPE," Trudeau said.

He also announced more than $246 million in additional funding for charities to assist with the COVID-19 response.

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Governments have blasted Beijing over its handling and response to the pandemic, which has sickened 2.5 million people globally, including more than 175,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.