Soruce SCMP: China has sent a small team of medical experts to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for a three‑month mission to help contain an Ebola outbreak, both as a humanitarian effort and as part of a broader push to expand its influence and protect its investments in the region. The move fills a gap left by a slower and more inward‑focused response from Western countries, especially the United States.

Summary of the article

• A five‑member Chinese medical team, specializing in epidemiology, clinical medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, has arrived in Kinshasa to support efforts against a growing Ebola outbreak in a mining region where China has substantial investments.
• They will work with the African Union, the Africa CDC and local health authorities to strengthen outbreak‑control capacity, including in neighboring countries such as Uganda.
• Chinese officials present the mission as a way to provide high‑quality medical assistance and vaccines (for another rare virus) while showcasing China’s public‑health experience from previous African Ebola crises.
• Analysts quoted in the article say the deployment also has geopolitical significance: China is stepping into a leadership role in African health emergencies at a time when Washington is more focused on domestic issues and security‑driven border controls.
• The United States has committed significant funds for the DRC response but has focused on measures like travel restrictions and an isolation facility in Kenya, which some critics see as less engaged with on‑the‑ground public‑health work than China’s approach.

Conclusion

The article argues that China’s medical deployment to the DRC is both a practical contribution to fighting Ebola and a strategic move to deepen its political and economic influence in Africa, particularly in areas tied to Chinese investments. While Western powers provide money and impose border controls, China is portrayed as gaining soft power by sending medical teams directly into affected regions and partnering closely with African health institutions.
The Chinese medical team is said to be working with the African Union Commission and Africa CDC to strengthen outbreak‑control capacity; while WHO is not named as a direct operational partner of this specific five‑member team, the overall response framework clearly involves WHO as a key multilateral actor.

So, in this article, China’s team is framed mainly as collaborating with African institutions (African Union, Africa CDC), within a broader Ebola response in which WHO is one of the funding and coordination channels supported by both the U.S. and China.