VIENTIANE, Feb. 20 -- China is confident in winning the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) amid the support of the international community including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Wednesday night.
Speaking at the dinner party of the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Coronavirus Disease and the fifth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Wang said that under the direct command of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese people are rallying together to counter the COVID-19 epidemic.
After arduous efforts, the situation is changing for the better, Wang said, noting that currently, the city of Wuhan and Hubei Province remain the areas severely affected by the epidemic, but the situation is under effective control, while other regions are embracing comforting news.
For example, the number of COVID-19 cases has been declining for 15 consecutive days, while that of cured patients is rising. By Tuesday, more than 14,000 coronavirus patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals, the first time that the cured cases have surpassed the confirmed cases of the day.
This shows that the epidemic is controllable and curable, Wang said.
Viruses are common enemies of mankind, and the international community needs to join hands to tackle them, he noted. Facing the COVID-19 epidemic, China is not fighting alone, and the country is receiving support and understanding from countries across the world; till now, heads of more than 160 countries and over 30 international organizations had expressed firm support to China, he added.
Noting that China and ASEAN, linked by mountains, rivers and waters, are not only one family but also a community with a shared future, Wang said ASEAN friends have been standing firmly with China from the very beginning of the virus outbreak.
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen changed schedule to pay a special visit to China, demonstrating true friendship that stands out in difficult times, said Wang.
He also praised other ASEAN countries for offering support to China in various means.
Wang said the empathy from the international community including the ASEAN has been boosting China's confidence in overcoming the epidemic. "We hardly feel the winter chill and the spring is approaching," he said.
Wang also expressed confidence that Thursday's Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Coronavirus Disease and fifth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting will both be successful.
The meetings will boost the Lancang-Mekong cooperation and deliver a signal to the world that China and ASEAN will join hands to fight the disease, safeguard people's health of all countries and promote regional health security.
"I believe that the China-ASEAN relations and China's ties with each of the ASEAN members will be further deepened after the test of the epidemic," said Wang.