Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

Chinese Foreign Ministry said that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, China and the US, the two major powers in the world, should strengthen cooperation to address the common challenges of mankind and further support the World Health Organization (WHO) in playing its role.

Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, made the above comments during a routine press briefing on Friday, replying to a recent article by US think tank Brookings Institution that called on the US and China, the world's two largest economies, to cooperate in fighting the pandemic.

"It is the common call of the international community to unite in the fight against the pandemic, and it is the common aspiration of people with vision in both countries to strengthen cooperation in the face of the pandemic," Wang said.

China's top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan held a dialogue with the US chief immunologist, Anthony Fauci, at a webinar organized by the University of Edinburgh on Wednesday. Medical leaders agreed that the sharing of information and collaboration are essential in curbing the pandemic, CGTN reported.

China has taken the lead in bringing the pandemic under control since the COVID-19 outbreak and actively promoted international cooperation in fighting it, effectively ensuring the intake and supply of global anti-pandemic materials, Wang said.

According to Wang, from March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, China has exported 43.85 billion face masks, 1.19 billion surgical gloves, 950 million sets of protective clothing, 54.03 million pairs of goggles and 17,585 sets of respirators to the US. Many Chinese provinces and cities, businesses and organizations have also donated medical supplies to the US.

"Chinese experts, medical workers and non-governmental organizations have shared their experience in prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment with their US counterparts… Pharmaceutical companies and scientists from the two nations have also maintained communication and cooperation on vaccine and drug research and development," Wang said.

As the two major powers in the world, China and the US should and can work together to meet the common challenges of human beings, Wang said.

"China is ready to work with all countries in the world, including the US, to support the WHO in further playing its role, promote in-depth international cooperation in fighting the pandemic and strive for an early victory over the virus," Wang noted.