Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Colombian Foreign Minister Claudia Blum on Wednesday, discussing the fight against COVID-19.
Wang said that shortly after the outbreak of COVID-19, Colombian President Ivan Duque sent a letter of sympathy to President Xi Jinping, and the foreign minister also publicly voiced support for China's fight against the disease, which the Chinese side highly appreciated.
As the virus is spreading in Latin American countries including Colombia, the Chinese side extends its sincere sympathies to the Colombian people, Wang said.
China is proactively providing medical aid to Latin American countries and taking the initiative to hold video conferences for medical experts to share the experience in epidemic prevention and control without reservation, which has achieved good results, he said.
Wang said that China will donate a batch of emergency supplies to Colombia, and provide necessary convenience for the country's procurement in China.
Under the leadership of President Duque, the Colombian people will surely prevail over the epidemic, he said.
Noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Colombia, Wang said the best way to commemorate this is for the two sides to join hands to fight the pandemic and overcome the current difficulties together.
He voiced confidence that the friendly cooperation between China and Colombia will be further deepened in the joint fight against COVID-19.
China will, as always, safeguard Colombian nationals' work and living in China, said Wang, adding that he also believes that the Colombian side will continue to protect the health and safety of Chinese citizens in Colombia.
For her part, Blum highly commended China's strong measures against and successful control of COVID-19, saying that China's approach has set an example for both Colombia and the world.
The Colombian foreign minister expressed sincere gratitude to China for providing assistance to and sharing its experience in the COVID-19 battle with Latin American countries including Colombia.
Colombia stands ready to work with China to fully implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, and jointly make adequate preparation for the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, she said.
The Colombian side will make every effort to ensure the safety and health of Chinese nationals in Colombia, she added.
