On April 24, Lei Haichao, minister of China's National Health Commission, met in Beijing with Hans Henri P. Kluge, World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Europe, to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Noting China's long-term fruitful relations with the WHO, Lei said the country is currently pursuing a health-first strategy and reform of the health system, both have produced tangible benefits.

He added that China supports the development of health systems in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to contribute Chinese wisdom to global health governance. China will continue to firmly uphold multilateralism and support the WHO in playing a central coordinating role in global health affairs, he said.

Kluge thanked China for its long-term and firm support for the WHO and highly praised China's achievements in the development of health sector and its significant contributions to global health governance.

The pair discussed deepening China-WHO and China-Europe health collaboration and agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as primary healthcare services, medical artificial intelligence, traditional medicine, chronic disease prevention and control and healthy aging through various means such as policy dialogues, experience and personnel exchanges, and technical training.

Kluge and his delegation will visit Shanghai and attend the eighth Shanghai Cooperation Organization Health Ministers' Meeting in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province.