Xi urges joint response to pandemic

President calls on all nations to bolster cooperation, improve health governance

President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed China's commitment to enhancing global health governance and shoring up global growth to deal with the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, with the Group of 20 economies set to scale up efforts to respond to the worldwide emergency.

In telephone conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night, Xi called upon all nations to bolster cooperation within the frameworks of the United Nations and the G20 and jointly improve global health governance. He also underlined the importance of ensuring the openness, stability and safety of global supply chains with the two European leaders.

Xi also spoke on the telephone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday night, and had phone conversations with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday night.

The frequent interactions between world leaders come against the background of the global spread of the pandemic and downward pressure on the global economy.

During the conversations with the foreign leaders, Xi extended messages of sympathy as well as China's firm support, while expressing hope for greater global cooperation in epidemic containment and joint response to the impact of the pandemic on the global economy.

Macron said he greatly appreciates that the Chinese government and people, with great courage and decisive measures, have effectively contained the disease in a short period of time.

France, he added, is sincerely grateful for China's valuable support and help, and is willing to make concerted efforts with China to boost bilateral health cooperation and encourage all relevant parties to promote cooperation within such frameworks as the G20 and the World Health Organization to beat the pandemic and cope with its impact on the world economy.

The conversation on Monday was the third of its kind between the two presidents since January.

During the phone talks, Johnson said he congratulates the Chinese government and people on the remarkable achievements they have made in epidemic prevention and control with strenuous efforts and enormous sacrifices.

He said Britain has been studying and learning from China's useful experience and will do its best to take care of the health and safety of Chinese nationals in Britain, especially students.

The British prime minister said he fully agrees with Xi that no country can wall itself off from the pandemic and all countries should strengthen cooperation.

He added that he looks forward to maintaining close contact with Xi and visiting China at an early date after the epidemic, so as to jointly promote the development of bilateral relations.

When talking with Xi over the phone, Bolsonaro expressed appreciation for China's facilitating of Brazil's purchases of medical resources, saying that he salutes the Chinese people.

Leaders from the G20 economies, including China, France, the United Kingdom and Brazil, are set to convene a virtual summit this week to address the novel coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia, the chair of this year's summit, said earlier.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, said the virtual G20 summit would be an important platform for experience sharing and coordinating global efforts to fight the pandemic while coming up with plans for global economic revitalization.

While talking with Egyptian president on Monday night, Xi reiterated China's advocacy of boosting global cooperation in fighting the pandemic based on the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said a stronger sense of community with a shared future among different countries is essential to winning the global fight against the pandemic.

"Unity and cooperation is the only Noah's Ark in the face of the rampant public health crisis," he said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.