Beijing pledges support for neighbors

China stands ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with Japan and South Korea to impede the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic's spread across borders, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

The pledge was made during his phone calls on Wednesday evening with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

Wang said China hopes to work with the two neighbors on disease prevention and treatment as well as in developing medicines and vaccines.

Work should be done to prevent the epidemic from interfering with China's pragmatic cooperation with Japan and South Korea, Wang said. He suggested those nations help their affected industries and enterprises ride out the current difficulties and ensure the stability of industry chains and supply chains.

China appreciates support from the two countries during the outbreak and will support them in fighting the disease, Wang said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday that China, Japan and South Korea are friendly neighbors and all are deeply involved in fighting the epidemic.

At this crucial stage in which China needs to invest significant efforts in preventing and controlling the disease, it still will do all it can to help South Korea and Japan, Zhao said.

Qingdao, in Shandong province, is preparing to donate materials for disease control and prevention to Daegu, a South Korean city seriously affected by the epidemic, Zhao said.

China, which has donated test kits to Japan, will also donate some other medical materials, with the first shipment scheduled to arrive in the island country on Thursday, Zhao said.

Preventive measures taken to control unnecessary cross-border travel, minimizing the risk of the epidemic's spread, are in line with "the greatest common interests" of China and South Korea and their peoples, Zhao said.

Also on Thursday, Zhao announced that China's senior official Yang Jiechi will start a two-day visit to Japan on Friday.

Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, will engage in a new round of China-Japan high-level political dialogue with Shigeru Kitamura, chief of the Japanese National Security Council.

Both South Korea and Japan have seen an increase of novel coronavirus cases. Cases are rising rapidly in South Korea, which has raised its alert to the highest level for the epidemic.

Mo Jingxi contributed to this story.