Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), spoke over the phone with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Jan 27 to exchange views on the evaluation of pandemic prevention and response and scientific cooperation in virus origin-tracing.

Ma said that since the COVID-19 outbreak, China and the WHO have maintained close communication by phone calls, letters and meetings, and the bilateral practical cooperation has had positive results.

He said that China is willing to work with the WHO in continuing to support the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and the Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations in their promotion of scientific, objective, comprehensive and balanced assessment and review and in offering feasible suggestions on contributing to global efforts in preventing and responding to health emergencies in the future.

Tedros hailed the long-term and effective collaboration between China and the WHO. He appreciated China for the thoughtful arrangement for the international expert team on origin-tracing cooperation, and expressed satisfaction with the progress in bilateral in-depth exchanges. He said that the two sides will continue to make joint efforts to facilitate scientific cooperation in COVID-19 origin-tracing.