Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Friday that he hoped their two countries could “work together to boost cooperation in epidemic control and other fields,” according to an account of the conversation published by Chinese state media.
Xi also said that China is “willing to work with all parties, including the United States” in combating the pandemic and that he was “very concerned and worried about the epidemic development in the US,” according to China’s Xinhua news agency.
“Chinese people sincerely hope that the United States will soon control the spread of the epidemic (and) reduce the losses brought by the epidemic to the American people,” Xi is reported to have told Trump during the call.
“To China and the US, cooperation serves the interests of the two countries and conflict can only hurt both. Cooperation is the only correct choice. It is hoped that the US will take substantive actions in improving Sino-US relations, and the two sides will work together to strengthen cooperation in areas such as containing the epidemic, and develop a relationship of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation,” Xi is reported to have said.
The White House has not yet released a readout or statement on the conversation and its contents.
According to Chinese state media, Trump offered thanks to China for providing medical supplies to the United States to fight the epidemic, and for “strengthening exchanges in the medical and health fields between the two countries, including cooperation in the development of effective anti-epidemic drugs.”
In a tweet earlier today, Trump said it had been a “very good conversation.” He added, “Much respect!”