Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), speaks at a conference on China-Japan health cooperation via video link on Dec 17. [Photo/nhc.gov.cn]

Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), held talks with Japanese Health Minister Norihisa Tamura via video link on Dec 17 to discuss future bilateral health cooperation amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Ma said that China-Japan collaboration in combating the virus, including in-time information reporting on the pandemic and policy and technological exchanges in COVID-19 prevention and control, has played a positive role in safeguarding regional health security and reducing the impact of the pandemic on social and economic development.

He noted that China and Japan should further enhance cooperation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, actively push forward technological exchanges and deepen collaboration in COVID-19 prevention and treatment, virus research, and vaccine development and use. In addition, collaboration in infectious disease prevention and control, basic medicine, clinical medicine, aging population and talent training should be strengthened under the framework of relevant China-Japan cooperation agreements.

Tamura said that the two sides should continue to work together to fight the pandemic, intensify technological exchanges, and deepen cooperation in areas such as aging population and medical research.