The minister of China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, Li Bin, met with a representative of the United States Dept of Health and Human Services, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, in Beijing, on Sept 10 to discuss cultural exchanges, global health and safety and healthcare reforms. In discussing cooperation, Li said that Sino-US health cooperation was a highlight of the 6th round of Sino-US cultural exchanges this past June, and that, “China agrees with the US on including health cooperation In discussion of the two countries’ leaders and it also applauds the US proposal to make global health safety a subject of G20 Summit.”

Li went on to say that China hopes that it and the US can focus on chronic disease prevention and treatment and health staff training, and that global health and safety are closely related to global political stability, social development and economic growth.

She then added that no country can stay out of this and that China is willing to support the construction of the African Union Centre for Disease Control, with US help, and help Africa and other countries strengthen their public health system and implement International Health Regulations to promote global health and safety.

Burwell said she is glad to see China and the US cooperating on the African Union Centre and that she hopes they can cooperate on policies and technologies as well and contribute to global health and safety. She said she also expects that China will bring more attention to global health and safety from all countries during its presidency of the G20 in 2016.

Taking part in the meeting were officials from the Commission’s International Cooperation and Healthcare Reform depts, its Health Emergency Response Office, as well as Max Baucus, the US ambassador to China.