China calls on the international community to enhance cooperation in tackling the Coronavirus
Capitals, ST- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the international community to enhance cooperation in tackling the Coronavirus and other epidemics, noting that the spread of this virus in several countries showed how all countries are related to each other.
“The current spread of this disease reminds us again that , in the age of globalization, the fate of all countries is closely related to each other … and therefore our interests are shared,” Wang told his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian in phone call, Xinhua reported.
Minister Wang stressed that strengthening cooperation in the health field should be a priority for the international community, stressing China’s readiness to make joint efforts to protect the health and safety of the Chinese people and people of all countries of the world.
In a telephone conversation with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung, Wang also announced that China is determined to strengthen cooperation with the international community in facing the new Coronavirus in an open, transparent and responsible manner. He noted that Beijing has implemented a nationwide system for curbing the spread of the disease until efforts are advanced to eliminate it.
On the other hand, and in the context of the repercussions of the spread of the Coronavirus, British Airways announced that it will suspend its flights to the Chinese cities ,Beijing and Shanghai, after the British Foreign Ministry called on its citizens not to travel to China.
British Airways suspended online reservations for direct flights from London to Beijing and Shanghai until next March.
US Foreign Ministry official also announced the evacuation of 240 Americans from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the new Coronavirus was firstly spread.
In turn, Indian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Ravesh Kumar announced the start of the evacuation of Indian citizens affected by the worsening conditions of the spread of Corona in Wuhan. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen also said that talks are underway to evacuate their citizens from China.
On the other hand, researchers from Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunology in the Australian city of Melbourne announced that they have successfully developed a version of the new Coronavirus in the laboratory, which will help greatly in combating the spread of the disease in the world.
The institute experts added that “the virus sample will be used to create an antibody test to allow detection of the virus in patients who have no symptoms as well as to contribute in making a vaccine.”
M.Wassouf