Roads outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Train Terminus are deserted, in Mumbai, India, March 24, 2020. (RAJANISH KAKADE / AP)

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that the Chinese people and the people of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries will further strengthen the solidarity, cooperation and trust between them in their joint battle against COVID-19.

Wang made the remarks during his telephone conversation with Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Dato Seri Paduka Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof.

Wang conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, saying that China appreciates the royal family, government and people of Brunei for actively supporting China in fighting COVID-19 and providing financial assistance to China, which embodies Brunei's friendship towards the Chinese people.

China stands ready to share its experience in COVID-19 containment with India and help them fight the epidemic, Wang Yi said

He noted that China and ASEAN countries are close neighbors with a tradition of helping and supporting each other in difficult times.

ALSO READ: China, ASEAN pledge joint efforts to contain coronavirus

Erywan conveyed Brunei's Sultan's sincere greetings to Xi and congratulated China on effectively containing the spread of the epidemic. He also sincerely thanked China for providing support and assistance to Brunei in the battle against COVID-19, and hoped that China-ASEAN exchanges will return to normal as soon as possible after the epidemic. 

China ready to help India battle COVID-19

In a phone conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Wang said that China stands ready to share its experience in COVID-19 containment with India and help them fight the epidemic.

China extends sincere sympathies to India, where the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is increasing, Wang told Jaishankar.

READ MORE: India under 21-day lockdown, Thailand to declare emergency

China, he added, appreciates India's containment efforts and the visible progress it has achieved, and believes that the Indian people will properly deal with the disease and overcome it as soon as possible.

As the only two countries with a population of more than 1 billion, China and India should continue to support each other in combating COVID-19, Wang said, adding that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with India within multilateral frameworks to push for international solidarity and coordination and jointly safeguard global public health security.

Jaishankar thanked China for its sympathies and assistance in medical supplies, saying that India appreciates the outstanding results of China's epidemic control efforts and stands ready to learn from China's experience.

India opposes using the virus as a label of stigmatization, and maintains that the international community should send out signals of solidarity and determination at this difficult moment, he said.