Experts attend a joint symposium on "COVID-19 Fightback and the Future 'New Normal'" organized by Tsinghua University in Beijing and Imperial College London on Wednesday. Photo: Courtesy of Tsinghua

Experts from China and the UK called for enhanced international cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic and praised China's anti-epidemic efforts at a joint symposium jointly held by Tsinghua University in Beijing and Imperial College London on the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Margaret Chan, the Inaugural Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health at Tsinghua, and Honorary Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), gave a keynote speech at the symposium that was held on Wednesday. 

Chan said that the international community should continue to uphold the concept of a community of a shared future for mankind, further strengthen cooperation under the guidance and coordination of the WHO, work together to overcome the current crisis and build a global community of health for all. 

Margaret Chan, the Inaugural Dean of Vanke School of Public Health Tsinghua and Honorary Director-General of the World Health Organization, gives a keynote speech at a joint symposium on "COVID-19 Fightback and the Future 'New Normal'" organized by Tsinghua University in Beijing and Imperial College London on Wednesday. Photo: Courtesy of Tsinghua

Chan praised China's successful handling of the COVID-19 epidemic and timely assistance to the countries affected by it. She said that the pandemic has reaffirmed the values of global solidarity, trust, unity and cooperation in the face of a shared common health threat. 

According to a white paper on China's battle against COVID-19 issued on Sunday, China has dispatched 29 medical expert teams to 27 countries to help them fight the virus, and is now providing viral control assistance to 150 countries and four international organizations as of May 31. 

Meanwhile, more than 70 countries and 12 organizations provided support to China when China was in its most difficult time fighting against the coronavirus.  

Chan said at the symposium that China would not forget those who offered help to China in a difficult period and would continue to share its experience with the world in fighting against the pandemic.

David Nabarro, World Health Organization special envoy on COVID-19 and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, gives a keynote speech at a joint symposium on "COVID-19 Fightback and the Future 'New Normal'" organized by Tsinghua University in Beijing and Imperial College London on Wednesday. Photo: Courtesy of Tsinghua

"I have never seen the level of cooperation among scientists and among those who support science that we're seeing right now," said David Nabarro, WHO special envoy on COVID-19 and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, at the symposium. 

Experts also introduced developments in their research on the coronavirus. 

Zhang Linqi, Chair of Global Health and Infectious Diseases Center, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University said that his team had successfully isolated more than 200 strains of COVID-19's monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with high neutralization ability and their coding genes from recovered patients' lymphocytes.  

Zhang said at the symposium that his team is continuing to isolate and characterize more mAbs as well as to develop the most potent mRNA vaccine for preclinical and clinical evaluations.