President Xi Jinping checks the treatment of hospitalized patients at the monitoring center and talks to medical staff on duty via a video link at Beijing Ditan Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb 10, 2020. (XIE HUANCHI / XINHUA)

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping held phone conversations with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron, respectively, on the fight against the novel coronavirus on Tuesday.

In the phone call with Johnson, Xi said China's measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic are achieving visible progress as the battle has reached a crucial time. 

READ MORE: President Xi notes progress in epidemic control

Xi expressed his gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II and Johnson for their sympathies with China's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, noting that Britain has offered China supplies in support of the fight, which demonstrates the friendship between the two countries and the two peoples. 

Since the outbreak, China has always prioritized its people's safety and health, given full play to its institutional advantages, mobilized the entire country, and adopted the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures, Xi said. 

Thanks to those arduous efforts, the situation is witnessing positive changes, and China's prevention and control measures are achieving visible progress, he added. 

Xi said the Chinese side will continue to cooperate with Britain and all other countries in an open and transparent manner in the fight against the virus

Now the battle against the epidemic has arrived at a crucial time, he pointed out, stressing that China will strive to reduce the impact of the epidemic while resolutely carrying out the prevention and control efforts. 

Noting that the Chinese economy enjoys strong resilience, broad space for domestic demand and a solid industrial foundation, Xi said that China has confidence and capacity to achieve this year's targets for economic and social development, especially such key tasks as securing a victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and in eliminating poverty.

Upholding the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China is not only responsible for the safety and health of its people, but also committed to the cause of safeguarding international public health, Xi noted.

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China has made enormous efforts, and has effectively contained the global spread of the virus, Xi said, adding that the Chinese side will continue to cooperate with Britain and all other countries in an open and transparent manner.

Meanwhile, during a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, Xi said China is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with France in the health sector so as to jointly safeguard regional and global public health security.