The Belt and Road cooperation could be a key contributor to global crisis response, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday in a letter to a high-level video conference held in Beijing. 

The theme of the conference is "strengthening the Belt and Road international cooperation and jointly fighting COVID-19," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

Noting that COVID-19 is yet another sobering reminder that in this age of globalization, President Xi underlined that the futures of countries are closely linked, and the entire humanity belongs to one community with a shared future. 

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The right approach to tackling global crises and realizing long-term development is through greater connectivity, openness and inclusiveness, said Xi, acknowledging that "this is where Belt and Road international cooperation can make a big difference".

Putting the people's interests first, China will do what it can and contribute its share to an early global victory against the virus and the recovery of the global economy, Xi wrote.

In his letter, Xi also underscored China's commitment to working with other cooperation partners to accelerate the building of the Belt and Road into a road that is able to tackle challenges, safeguard global health and further unleash development potential. 

(Cover: Workers unload medical materials that arrived with a Chinese medical expert team at Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, March 28, 2020. /Xinhua)