Chinese President Xi Jinping thanked his counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday for "France's support " for China, struggling with the epidemic of viral pneumonia, Chinese television reported.
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" At this critical time for China in the fight against the epidemic of new coronavirus pneumonia, you once again express your compassion and support, " said the Chinese president. " This fully reflects the deep friendship between China and France (...) Thank you for this gesture, " he added, while according to a final assessment, the epidemic has infected more than 72,000 people in China, including nearly 1,900 fatally.
In another phone call to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Xi said the fight against the epidemic is generating " visible progress ," according to reports by the China News Agency. The crisis has paralyzed the Chinese economy for almost a month but Mr. Xi assured Emmanuel Macron that this impact was " temporary ", according to the public channel CCTV.
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" I am convinced that thanks to our efforts, we will still be able to achieve our economic and social development objectives established for this year, " he assured. Chinese economic growth fell to 6.1% last year, its weakest performance in three decades, and experts expect a further decline this year.
According to Chinese television, Macron praised " the energetic measures taken quickly by China, as well as the high degree of openness and transparency it has shown " in the face of the coronavirus. China de facto quarantined the city of Wuhan (center) on January 23, as well as a total of 56 million people living in its region at the epicenter of the coronavirus.
Read also: Coronavirus: 1,770 dead in China, one death in France, one in Taiwan
