Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of the National Health Commission, meets with Saia Ma'u Piukala, the World Health Organization regional director for the Western Pacific, in Beijing on March 21. [Photo/nhc.gov.cn]

Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of the National Health Commission (NHC), met with Saia Ma'u Piukala, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for the Western Pacific, in Beijing on March 21.

Cao congratulated Piukala on taking office as WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, and spoke highly of the long-term friendship and fruitful cooperation results between China and the WHO.

China is willing to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in such areas as universal health coverage, the health system, disease prevention and control and global health under the guidance of the China-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy, he added.

China firmly supports the WHO in playing a core leadership role in global health and is ready to continue deepening its participation in global health governance, contributing to the implementation of the vision and plan of the Western Pacific Region, and promoting the establishment of a global community of health for all.

Piukala recognized China's high-quality development in health undertakings and thanked China for its strong support to the WHO. He said the WHO will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, and expressed the willingness to enhance cooperation with China to jointly promote the achievement of the health goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in the region.

During his stay in China, Piukala also visited the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Majiapu Community Health Service Center in Beijing.