China deepens intl cooperation in fighting pandemic

China has deepened international cooperation in tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic, an official with China's top health authority said on Thursday.

Li Mingzhu, an inspector with the National Health Commission's International Department, said at a news conference on Thursday that China has strengthened information sharing and policy coordination with G20 countries and has actively prepared for meetings with G20 health ministers.

China also has promoted cooperation in antiviral drug and vaccine research and worked with many countries to prevent further cross-border spread of the epidemic, he added. It's also helped countries with weak public health systems to improve their epidemic response capacity.

Li said China has worked with Japan, South Korea, ASEAN member countries, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Arab League and central and eastern European countries through a health cooperation mechanism to enforce the construction of a health emergency network.

China also has established an expert tank and organized more than 40 video conferences with more than 100 countries and regions to share the country's experiences in tackling novel coronavirus, he said, adding that they have received many such requests from abroad.

Li said China will continue to support the leading role of the World Health Organization. As the most authoritative and professional international organization in health, the WHO plays a significant role in responding to public health emergencies and has made great efforts in coordinating the pandemic after the outbreak.

China also recently donated $20 million to support the WHO's work and help countries with weak public health systems to improve their capabilities in handling the epidemic, he added.

China recently sent groups of medical experts to Italy, Serbia, Cambodia, Pakistan and Venezuela to help with local epidemic control work.

These experts, chosen by the commission and selected from various provinces, specialize in public health, clinical diagnosis and treatment, psychological counseling and traditional Chinese medicine.

They work with local health departments and medical institutions to share their experiences in disease prevention and control, carry out professional training, provide advice and guidance, and also help local Chinese residents and students.

Li said the expert teams received a warm welcome and high recognition. In Serbia, they were twice invited to join meetings of the Serbian prevention and control headquarters to discuss strategies and their suggestions were adopted.

In Italy, they connected Italian medics with medics in China via video conference to exchange ideas and answer questions.

China signed cooperation agreements with these countries before sending out the experts, which clarified the responsibilities of the two sides and legally ensured the experts' security, he said, adding that the experts also were equipped with sufficient protective equipment so that their health and safety could be guaranteed.