Joint fight against virus will boost China, Russia relations: Wang

A joint fight by China and Russia against the novel coronavirus will give a strong boost to bilateral relations, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

China is willing to work with Russia to turn the crisis into an opportunity to maintain the stability of cooperation in energy and other traditional fields, and accelerate cooperation in new areas, such as e-commerce and medicine, to make new engines of economic growth after the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang said at a news conference on the sidelines of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress.

Two-way trade between the two countries has increased despite the pandemic, he said.

Facing unreasonable attacks and slanders from certain countries, China and Russia have supported and defended each other and become an impregnable fortress against political virus, reflecting high-level bilateral strategic coordination, he added.