Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission, spoke by phone with German Health Minister Jens Spahn on July 3 to exchange views on the progress of COVID-19 prevention and control and future cooperation between the two countries.

Ma briefed Spahnon China's progress in virus prevention and control and international cooperation. He said that health cooperation is one of the highlights of the comprehensive China-Europe and China-Germany cooperative relationship. Ma stressed that the two sides will continue to firmly support multilateralism and the World Health Organization (WHO)'s leading role, strengthen information and technological exchanges on outbreaks, expand China-Germany and China-EU comprehensive health collaboration and work together to build a global public health community.

Spahn spoke highly of the close communication and collaboration between China and Germany in combating the pandemic. He also expressed willingness to continue to strengthen bilateral health cooperation with China, enhance support for the WHO, support the technical institutions of the two countries to carry out exchanges and cooperation with African countries, and promote China-Europe and China-Germany health cooperation.