Photo: Xinhua

In response to the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), many countries around the world have expressed their goodwill to help China fight the epidemic.

Russia, as China's largest neighboring country, has also provided assistance, showing that China-Russia cooperation has further deepened. In particular, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have been further enhanced, which has enriched the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. 

China and Russia have stepped up cooperation in the prevention and control of infectious diseases. In June 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to elevate bilateral ties to the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, further enriching China-Russia relations.

The statements propose a broader scope of cooperation in the field of health, including continuing to strengthen cooperation in response to natural, man-made and epidemic and health emergencies. China and Russia will also continue to expand cooperation in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.

As a result, Russia sent five epidemic prevention experts to Wuhan, the epicenter of the NCP in Central China's Hubei Province, to carry out joint development of vaccines. Chinese and Russian scientists will jointly develop vaccines to help China in fighting the epidemic.

In the face of the outbreak of the NCP, Russian media have shown noble professional ethics. This has created a good social environment for fighting the epidemic, reflecting the deep social foundation of the China-Russia ties.

The official Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta published an editorial on Monday, expressing the idea of sharing hardships together with China. These expressions of Russian government and people's support for China in fighting the epidemic reflect the two countries' profound friendship.

Putin sent a message to Xi on January 31 expressing his deep sympathy and support following the outbreak and his confidence that China's measures would help stop the spread of the epidemic and minimize damage from it.

Russia has also provided medical aid supplies to China. On Sunday, Russia sent more than 23 tons of humanitarian aid to Wuhan, which included more than 2 million face masks.

Besides that, the mainstream media in China and Russia also jointly released reports and comments on China's epidemic prevention and control, providing the latest information on the effective measures to the Russian people.

Relevant Russian departments will also interact closely with China to defend against the common threat of the virus as quickly as possible. At the crucial moment, China-Russia relations have demonstrated the basic nature of mutual support, mutual assistance and friendly neighborliness.

Instead of affecting the continuous and stable development of China-Russia relations, the epidemic further shows the world that the two countries help one another during difficulties.

Jointly fighting the epidemic helps China and Russia consolidate their relations and reflects the friendship between the two leaders and the two peoples.

The author is a research fellow in the Institute of Russia, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn