MUNICH — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Feb 15 met French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, on the sidelines of the 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC).

The top Chinese diplomat told Le Drian that when he saw French President Emmanuel Macron on Feb 15 before his speech at the MSC, Macron took the opportunity to express France's firm support to China in the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic, for which China would like to express its gratitude.

Wang said, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, Chinese people are fighting the epidemic in solidarity, and positive results have been achieved thanks to various control measures adopted by the Chinese government.

Emerging from the epidemic, the Chinese economy will achieve more solid and sustainable growth, and the Chinese people will rally closer together and march confidently toward their goals, Wang said.

Meanwhile, "the epidemic allows us to learn who are China's friends indeed," Wang added, expressing confidence that the Sino-French friendship will stand up to the test and deepen further.

The Chinese side is ready to carry out close high-level exchanges with the French side, and to make concerted efforts to advance various important political agendas of this year, and at the meantime to promote Sino-European cooperation, Wang stated.

For his part, Le Drian said that France appreciates China's arduous efforts to stem the epidemic, and will stay in solidarity with China, staunchly support China in its fight against the epidemic.

Apart from the supplies France has already donated to China, more aid supplies will be provided by France to the Chinese side, Le Drian said.

He added, the French consulate in Wuhan is still operating, with which France would like to testify to the true friendship between the two countries, and France would like to stay in solidarity with China in this rough times.

Le Drian also promised that his country will not adopt or tolerate any discriminatory measures, and will remain calm and rational in handling with the matter, noting that the French side is also ready to strengthen bilateral cooperation with China in all fields as well as coordination with China on issues such as climate change.