BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese and U.S. health officials have agreed to strengthen communication, cooperation and coordination on global health affairs, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported late on Monday, following rare talks in Washington.
China is willing to increase policy communication and coordination with the United States and collaborate in medical issues including cancer prevention and treatment, said Cao Xuetao, deputy head of the National Health Commission, after the recent talks.
Strengthening health cooperation between China and the United States benefits both nations, Cao was cited as saying following the first ministerial-level visit by China’s health authorities to the United States since 2017.
China and the United States have stepped up communication across many aspects of their relationship in efforts to stabilise ties, which plunged to a historic low during the recent pandemic.
At the height of COVID-19, the U.S. military launched a secret campaign to create doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid supplied by China in the Philippines, according to a Reuters investigative report earlier this year.
During their recent talks in Washington, U.S. and Chinese health officials reviewed their long-standing partnership, recognised the value of China-U.S. medical exchanges and cooperation, and expressed a willingness to pursue further exchanges, according to Xinhua.
This year, top officials from both sides have increased engagement in areas from their economies and climate change to their militaries and the fentanyl crisis in the United States, even as the two countries clashed over Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, Beijing’s relationship with Moscow, as well as China’s maritime disputes in the South China Sea with neighbouring countries.
In September, the Biden administration locked in steep tariff hikes on Chinese imports, including a 100% duty on electric vehicles, triggering protests from Beijing.
(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Michael Perry)
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