Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 17 called on China and Africa to defeat the novel coronavirus with solidarity and cooperation.

The two sides should work together to build a China-Africa community of health for all and take their comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to a greater height.

Xi made the remarks in Beijing when chairing the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19, held via video link.

Noting that China and Africa have withstood the test of a severe challenge and enhanced solidarity, friendship and mutual trust in the face of COVID-19, Xi said the two sides must mobilize necessary resources, stick together in collaboration to protect people’s lives and health, and minimize the fallout of COVID-19.

He called on both sides to stay committed to fighting COVID-19 together, saying that China will continue to do whatever it can to support Africa's response.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Africa have stood in solidarity and fought against it side by side.

When China was fighting the epidemic, more than 50 African leaders expressed condolences and support to China, and African countries donated anti-epidemic materials to China. After the outbreak in Africa, China has also stood together with the African people, said Wang Lincong, vice president of the China-Africa Institute.

The Chinese government, enterprises and social groups provided aid to more than 50 African countries and the African Union, sent 148 anti-epidemic experts in groups to 11 countries, and held more than 30 online professional conferences and nearly 400 training activities for open technological exchanges. In addition, 46 Chinese medical teams stationed in Africa have been actively involved in local anti-epidemic work, Wang explained. Furthermore, China has called on the international community to increase its support for anti-epidemic efforts in Africa and the World Health Organization in its work, while actively participating in the G20 debt relief initiative.

Zhong Feiteng, a research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China has consistently advocated for the practice of multilateralism for many years, which mainly refers to the maintenance of a global governance system centered around the United Nations. Both China and Africa support the World Health Organization as the leader for a fair, independent and comprehensive assessment of the pandemic.

The achievements of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation have shown to the world that fighting jointly is the right way to win the global anti-pandemic war. Only by advancing multilateral cooperation can we win, Wang concluded.

The summit has demonstrated the confidence of China-Africa cooperation in combating the pandemic, and it will further promote China-Africa cooperation in the construction of the Belt and Road (B&R), said Wang Mingjin, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University. China and Africa have laid a good foundation for cooperation in B&R construction. After the pandemic is over, the two sides will further promote cooperation in various fields.

Li Ronglin, director of the South-South Cooperation Research Center at Nankai University, said that China-Africa production capacity cooperation along with the construction of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones will help African countries learn from China’s successful experience and effectively promote Chinese investment and trade in Africa. In addition, there is also broad space for cooperation between China and Africa in such new technology industries as the digital economy, smart cities, clean energy and 5G.