Chinese President Xi Jinping extended congratulations to the international forum on the 50th anniversary of malaria drug artemisinin's introduction, which opened Monday in Beijing and is also a forum on boosting the building of a global community of health for all. 

Xi noted that artemisinin was the first special antimalarial drug discovered and successfully extracted in China and said it has helped the country completely eliminate malaria in the 50 years since it was invented.

China has actively promoted the application of artemisinin around the world, saving millions of lives, especially in developing countries, and making an important contribution to the prevention and treatment of malaria and the protection of human health, he said.

China is ready to work with the global community to strengthen cooperation in public health, jointly respond to global threats and challenges, and build a global community of health for all, he added.

(Cover: A staff member shows artemisinin derived from the artemisia annua in Rongan County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 17, 2019. /Xinhua)