Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China will continue to offer firm support for Costa Rica's fight against COVID-19 as the coronavirus disease outbreak remains serious in Latin America.

He made the remarks during a phone call with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada on Friday night over the coronavirus pandemic.

Stressing that Costa Rica has volunteered to provide China with medical supplies to battle against the pandemic, Xi noted that China will always cherish the friendship between the two countries.

China has regarded Costa Rica as a significant partner to cooperate on the fighting against COVID-19 in the Latin American region, stressed Xi.

Noting that the epidemic situation at present is grim in the Latin American region, Xi said that China will continue to offer support and help to Costa Rica within its capability.

Meanwhile, Xi pointed out that China is ready to work with Costa Rica to strengthen the international cooperation in the flight against the pandemic and protect the efforts from the developing courtiers to fight against the pandemic and safeguard the global public health security.

Costa Rica is a trusty strategic partner of China, Xi said, adding the two countries have yielded fruitful results in their cooperation in all fields.

Noting the coronavirus outbreak has made a negative impact on the bilateral trade and cooperation, Xi assured Carlos Alvarado Quesada that China will continue to support Costa Rica in its economic and national development.

Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the two sides will continue to advance their cooperation as well as their bilateral ties in the future, said Xi.

The Costa Rican president said that since Costa Rica and China established diplomatic ties 13 years ago, the two sides have enjoyed increasingly profound friendship and their mutually beneficial cooperation has been expanding continuously.

Costa Rica firmly adheres to the one-China principle and stands ready to work with China to strengthen cooperation in the fields of public health, infrastructure and culture among others, act as a bridge and gateway for China to engage with Central America and promote the relationship between Costa Rica and China to a new stage, he said.

China is a great country, said Alvarado, adding that Costa Rica admires Xi's experience in governing the country and also his announcement that China's COVID-19 vaccine would be made a global public good.

Alvarado expressed his appreciation for China's firm support for Costa Rica in its fight against the pandemic and said Costa Rica stands ready to work with China to support multilateralism, jointly deal with global challenges including climate change, and promote world peace and development.

(With input from Xinhua)