President of European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, gives a press conference after EU leaders' video conference on COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, at the European Council building in Brussels, on March 17, 2020. (ARIS OIKONOMOUS / AFP)

BRUSSELS - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the European Union is grateful for China's support, shortly after a phone conversation with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

In a speech videotaped in English, French and German, Von der Leyen said both she and Li agreed "the fight against coronavirus is a global one and that we need to support each other in times of need."

Li said China stands firmly with Europe, supports its anti-epidemic efforts, and will facilitate the procurement of medical supplies through commercial channels

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She said that China has not forgotten about the EU's help in January when the Asian country was at the center of the coronavirus outbreak; now Europe is the center of the pandemic and in need of protective supplies.

"We are ramping up our production. We're converting new production lines, but this needs several weeks," she said.

In the phone conversation with von der Leyen, Li said China stands firmly with Europe, supports its anti-epidemic efforts, and will facilitate the procurement of medical supplies through commercial channels.

As of Wednesday, Europe reported 74,760 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,352 related deaths, according to a World Health Organization daily report.