DOHA — Chinese and Qatari medical experts on July 8 held a video conference to share experience and expertise in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health officials and experts from both countries, including Zhong Nanshan, a renowned respiratory professor from China's Guangzhou Medical University, Zhou Jian, the Chinese ambassador to Qatar, and Saleh Ali Al-Marri, assistant minister of public health for health affairs, attended the conference.

The Chinese experts briefed Qatari counterparts on China's experience in COVID-19 prevention and treatment, as well as the implementation of coronavirus testing technologies.

The two sides also held in-depth exchanges of views on the issues that Qatar is most concerned about, including coronavirus prevention and control, test analysis, clinic care, vaccine development and social management.

Zhou saluted the brotherly friendship between China and Qatar, as shown in their cooperation and mutual help in jointly fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chinese envoy vowed that China will make the utmost efforts to help Qatar defeat the pandemic, adding that the Chinese embassy in Qatar will continue to promote cooperation, exchanges and experience sharing with Qatar in the health sector.

Al-Marri commended China for successfully controlling the pandemic in a relatively short period through taking decisive and effective measures.

He said that, with the slowdown of the coronavirus pandemic, Qatar has smoothly entered the second phase of normalization process, and China's experience and scientific researches will help Qatar control the pandemic sooner.

Qatar is willing to further strengthen cooperation and exchanges with China in the fields of epidemic control and medical care, Al-Marri added.

Qatar's Health Ministry on July 8 announced 608 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections in the Gulf state to 101,553.

The death toll rose to 138 and the total recoveries reached 96,107, the ministry said in a statement.