BEIRUT — Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian said March 2 that China is ready to provide assistance to Lebanon to combat COVID-19.

"The Chinese side is ready to make donations to Lebanon as an expression of its solidarity and support to your country in combating this virus," Wang told Saad Hariri, former Lebanese prime minister and president of Future Movement, during their meeting at the Center House in Beirut.

Wang noted that there is constructive cooperation between Lebanon and China to combat the disease, through daily consultations between the Chinese embassy in Beirut and Lebanese Ministry of Health.

"We also offer our experience in the fields of prevention and treatment," the Chinese envoy said.

Wang said that China has always worked closely with the World Health Organization and relevant countries "in an open, transparent and responsible manner."

The ambassador thanked Future Movement for its repeated expressions of support in different ways to China's fight against the novel coronavirus, while briefing Hariri on the latest progress achieved by China in containing the spread of the virus.

He noted that the number of newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases and deaths in China has been significantly reduced, and the cure rate has also increased remarkably, proving that the virus can be controlled and cured.

Wang stressed that China will continue to take strong prevention and control measures while, at the same time, promoting the orderly resumption of enterprises' production and restoration of normal economic activities.

He also said that China highly values its friendship with Lebanon, and is willing to work with the Lebanese government and other parties to promote mutual cooperation and development in different fields.

The Communist Party of China attaches importance to developing the friendly and cooperative relations with Future Movement, and is willing to advance the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries through inter-party channels, the ambassador added.

For his part, Hariri once again expressed his full solidarity with the Chinese people in the fight against the coronavirus, while lauding the prevention and control measures taken by China.

He also expressed the hope that China will succeed in controlling this disease as soon as possible.

Pierre Abi Hanna, head of infectious diseases at Rafic Hariri Hospital, said on Monday that the number of COVID-19 cases in Lebanon had increased to 13.