Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent messages of sympathy to French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish King Felipe VI and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic over the COVID-19 situation in their countries.

Xi calls for building community of common health for mankind

Xi expressed gratitude to France for its support to China in the fight against COVID-19.

Public health security is a common challenge, Xi said. "The Chinese government and people firmly support France's efforts to fight the pandemic, and we are willing to strengthen cooperation with France and win the fight by helping each other."

"Both China and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council and share the important responsibility of safeguarding human life. China is willing to work with France to promote international cooperation in pandemic prevention and control, and give full play to the core role of the United Nations and the World Health Organization in improving global public health governance and build a community of common health for mankind," he continued.

Xi emphasized that he attaches great importance to the development of China-France relations, and would like to work with President Macron to coordinate the pandemic prevention and control work, and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France to counter the COVID-19.

Xi says solidarity and cooperation are most powerful weapons

In his message to Merkel, Xi said China firmly supports Germany's efforts to fight the disease and is willing to provide assistance within its capacity if Germany needs help.

"Public health crises pose a common challenge for humanity, and solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons to tackle them," Xi said.

China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and is willing to continue to share information and experience with Germany, strengthen cooperation in areas such as pandemic prevention and control, treatment, and vaccine research and development, and jointly safeguard the health and well-being of the people of the two countries and the rest of the world, Xi added.

Xi emphasized that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Germany relations and is willing to work with Germany to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership and promote the development of China-EU relations.

Xi believes COVID-19 fight to succeed with joint efforts

China and Spain will certainly be able to win the final victory over the pandemic as long as they make joint efforts with the international community, the Chinese president said in his message to Spanish King Felipe VI. 

He noted that mankind is a community with a shared future, and that only through unity and coordination can humanity tackle the challenges to global public health security.

China firmly supports the efforts and measures taken by Spain to fight the epidemic, and is willing to share the experience on epidemic prevention and control as well as diagnosis and treatment plans, Xi said, adding that China will do its best to provide support and assistance to help Spain.

He also expressed the belief that through this joint fight against the pandemic, the traditional friendship and mutual trust between the two countries will be deepened and bilateral win-win cooperation will become closer, so as to benefit the two countries and their people.

Xi extends help to Serbia in fight against COVID-19 

China would provide Serbia with assistance in protective equipment and medical instruments, and send a group of medical experts to help it better contain the COVID-19 epidemic, Xi told Vucic in his message.

Noting that China and Serbia are comprehensive strategic partners, the Chinese president said the "iron friendship" between the two countries and their people remains unshakable and is even firmer as time goes by. 

Xi expressed his gratitude to Serbia's tangible support for China's fight against COVID-19 and said China firmly supports Serbia's efforts against the epidemic. 

"I attach great importance to the development of China-Serbia relations," he said, adding that in the joint fight against the epidemic, our bilateral traditional friendship would be further deeply rooted and comprehensive strategic partnership will be deepened.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang announced later on Saturday that a team of medical experts from China left for Serbia on Saturday afternoon. 

(Cover photo: A masked chemist pushes a trolley with cartons of hydro-alcoholic gels at a collection point in Paris, March 19, 2020. /AP)