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China, ASEAN agree to pursue joint response to virus outbreak
China and ASEAN have agreed to cooperate in a joint response to the coronavirus outbreak following the ASEAN-China foreign ministerial meeting in Vientiane on Thursday, the first international engagement China has pursued since the outbreak of the epidemic at the beginning of the year.
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High-ranking officials of ASEAN member states pose for a photograph during the ASEAN-China foreign ministerial meeting in Vientiane on Feb. 20. (AFP/Dene-Hern Chen)
China and ASEAN have agreed to cooperate in a joint response to the coronavirus outbreak following the ASEAN-China foreign ministerial meeting in Vientiane on Thursday, the first international engagement China has pursued since the outbreak of the epidemic at the beginning of the year.
Speaking to the media in Jakarta on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Deng Xijun said during the meeting, China and ASEAN member states had emphasized the importance of cooperation in regional public health and epidemic prevention.
”Both sides have agreed to convene a special leader's summit for higher level planning and guidance, which shows that the epidemic has not affected ASEAN-China relations. Instead, we will work together to fight against the epidemic,” the ambassador said.
In a statement after the meeting, ASEAN and China said they were committed to working together to share information and enhance the capacity of their health systems to control the virus.
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said exchange of information between China and ASEAN was an essential part of the close coordination needed between countries in the region to prevent, control and minimize the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
She proposed setting up a hotline between ASEAN countries and China to exchange up-to-date information, as well as establishing an ASEAN-China ad-hoc health ministers joint task force, which would focus on data and information exchange, as well as vaccine research collaboration.
