BEIJING — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on March 18 that China is willing to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation with Russia in his phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Wang noted that since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, under the leadership and personal guidance of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese people have made arduous efforts, and the dawn of victory is within sight.

China will strengthen planning and coordination to fully consolidate the hard-won achievements in its fight against the epidemic, and guard against the import of the epidemic, Wang said.

Meanwhile, China will actively push for the resumption of work and production, and do its best to minimize the losses inflicted by the epidemic, he added.

In an open, transparent and responsible manner, China has shared information and carried out cooperation with the World Health Organization and the international community, Wang said, adding that China has not only effectively safeguarded the health and safety of its own people, but bought precious time for other countries in the fight against COVID-19 and made significant contributions to the global public health cause.

With the epidemic situation improving in China, the country is putting into practice the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and providing help within its capacity to countries in need, he said.

Wang expressed deep gratitude to Russia, saying that at the difficult time when China was dealing with the epidemic, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered sympathies in his message to Xi, and Russia offered a helping hand to China in time.

As Russia's comprehensive strategic partner of coordination for a new era, China is willing to take into full consideration Russia's need, strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation with Russia, give priority to urgent affairs, and respond to Russia's need in the procurement of medical supplies, Wang said.

China is also willing to actively consider providing Russia with urgently-needed supplies in return for Russia's support and help, he added.

Wang noted that virus knows no borders and is the humanity's common enemy demanding a joint response from the international community.

Meanwhile, he criticized certain country's attempts to stigmatize China's anti-virus efforts, saying such moves, which ignore the huge sacrifice made by the Chinese people to safeguard the mankind's health and safety, are unpopular and doomed to fail.

The Chinese foreign minister said China believes that any country with a sense of responsibility would firmly oppose virus labeling, which is unreasonable.

In the phone conversation, Lavrov said China has obviously improved the COVID-19 situation at home, with the virus spread effectively contained, due to the strong measures adopted under the leadership of Xi.

Russia cordially congratulates China on its outstanding achievement in fighting the virus, and is grateful for China's timely response to Russia's procurement demands and approval of the export of medical supplies to Russia, he said.

Russia fully agrees with China on opposing labeling virus or attempting to stigmatize a country, said Lavrov, who called on countries to learn from China in fighting COVID-19 and to behave respectably.

Lavrov also noted that currently, international relations are being seriously challenged and threatened, and that countries should join efforts in response instead of resorting to opportunism.