China will continue to support the World Health Organization (WHO) in playing its role and join hands with the rest of the world to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing in Beijing after a top Chinese health official had a phone call with the Director-General of the WHO on Saturday.
"On January 14, Ma Xiaowei, director of China's National Health Commission, held a phone conversation with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus," said Wang.
"During the phone call, they exchanged views on the current epidemic prevention and control. Tedros spoke highly of the COVID-19 response efforts of the Chinese government and thanked China for its long-term technical exchanges and sharing of COVID-19 information and data with the WHO. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen technical exchanges and cooperation on epidemic prevention and control, and jointly promote global health security," the spokesperson noted.
A pedestrian walks past the building of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Beijing on November 23, 2021. (Photo: Lu Dong/People's Daily)
Wang emphasized at the press briefing that China has shared information with the WHO and other countries since the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic. The country has also reported the outbreak to the WHO at the earliest time, identified the pathogen and shared its genetic sequence, and established a technical exchange mechanism with the WHO.
"Over the past month, China has had five technical exchanges and one phone call with the WHO. China's contribution to the global virus fight has been widely recognized by the WHO and the international community," Wand said.
"China will continue to support the WHO in playing its role and unit the international community to combat the epidemic, and will continue to share its information relating to the pandemic with the international community in a timely and transparent manner so as to rise to the challenges brought by the pandemic."
"It is hoped that all parties can uphold a scientific and objective stance, respect and support China's prevention and control work and make due contribution to the global fight against COVID-19," he added.