BEIJING, May 11 -- China will continue to strengthen exchanges with Angola in the fight against COVID-19 epidemic and offer the country assistance in its purchase of anti-epidemic supplies, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.
In a phone conversation with Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, Wang said that China and Angola are important strategic partners with solid political mutual trust and a good development momentum in bilateral ties.
Wang said that he is delighted to see that Angola, under the leadership of President Joao Lourenco, has achieved positive results in preventing and controlling the epidemic, adding that two batches of supplies provided by the Chinese government have arrived in Angola.
There are many Chinese enterprises and staff members in Angola, Wang said, expressing the belief that Angola will safeguard their health and safety as well as legitimate rights.
The Chinese and Angolan people have a deep friendship and China is willing to strengthen the exchanges between sister cities with Angola to consolidate the foundation for bilateral relations, he said.
China and Africa have shared a tradition of friendship, with the two sides supporting each other through thick and thin, Wang said, adding that China empathizes with the African countries faced with challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
China has overcome its own difficulties to support Africa by providing multiple batches of anti-epidemic emergency supplies including those from the provincial and city level and from all sectors of the Chinese society, he said.
China has sent medical expert teams to Africa's five sub-regions with their neighboring countries covered, and has held nearly 30 virtual conferences with African countries, he said.
Chinese medical teams have conducted some 400 training sessions in Africa to share its anti-epidemic experience and have trained 20,000 local medical workers, Wang added.
China attaches great importance to the coronavirus' economic fallout in Africa, works actively to push forward the debt relief proposal by the Group of 20 major economies, and is willing to work together with Africa to overcome the current difficulties, Wang said.
Wang said the virus poses a common challenge to mankind, which demands a concerted response from the international community. He added that China believes that Angola and other African countries will be highly alert to the moves by certain forces to smear China and sow discord between China and Africa, and will work together with China to firmly support the World Health Organization (WHO).
Antonio said that China's anti-epidemic efforts have made important contributions to the world and his country appreciates the great support and selfless assistance provided by China, including taking good care of Angolan students in China.
He added that the Angolan side is willing to further strengthen its anti-epidemic cooperation with China, accelerate the pairing of sister cities in order to constantly deepen the solidarity and friendship of the two countries and the two peoples.
Antonio said the WHO and its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have won unanimous support of 55 member states of the African Union and the performance of the WHO chief has been widely commended.
Only through enhanced solidarity and cooperation and with the help of the WHO, can the world finally overcome the virus, the common enemy of mankind, he said. Enditem