President Xi Jinping said China is willing to maintain close contact with Indonesia while deepening bilateral cooperation in various fields during phone talks on Thursday with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo.

"China is willing to share its experience in pandemic prevention while offering assistance as much as possible," Xi said.

Indonesia has declared "a public health emergency" in a bid to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Xi expressed sympathy over the novel coronavirus outbreak in Indonesia, saying "We feel what you are going through right now."  He also said he is confident Indonesia will conquer the battle against the coronavirus under the leadership of its president.

Indonesia has 1,790 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, with over 160 deaths.

President Xi noted that 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Indonesia and said China hoped to further deepen bilateral cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Widodo spoke highly of China's achievement in combating the virus and thanked the country for the medical assistance it has offered. "That matters a lot to us," he said.

Indonesia opposes any kind of action that defames China and is willing to work with China to push for international unity, the president added.