Messages of support pour in from world

International support for China's efforts in fighting the novel coronavirus has continued to pour in, with countries from around the world offering sympathy and medical assistance and calling for an objective and rational evaluation of the outbreak.

In a recent message to President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered sympathy to the Chinese families suffering pain and loss from the epidemic.

Putin said the Russian people stand ready to offer assistance to their Chinese friends and that government departments in Russia will maintain close coordination with their counterparts in China to eliminate the common threat both countries are facing.

He expressed faith that under Xi's leadership China will curb the spread of the virus through rigorous measures and keep losses to a minimum.

In a letter to Xi on Saturday, Democratic People's Republic of Korea top leader Kim Jong-un extended his sympathies to China over the outbreak and offered support for the country's efforts to prevent and control the disease.

Kim, who is also chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, said the WPK, the people of the DPRK and he himself are sympathetic to China's suffering. He expressed strong faith that the Communist Party of China, along with the Chinese government and people, will win the battle against the virus under Xi's leadership.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said it's admirable how Chinese leaders have efficiently dealt with the outbreak, and the country's people have shown great courage. Belarus will provide medical supplies to help the Chinese people fight the virus, he said.

Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari highly commended China's extraordinary efforts and said her country appreciates and supports Chinese leaders' work. She also thanked China for protecting Nepalese nationals inside its borders.

In a letter to Xi on Saturday, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said that, in these temporary tough times, the people of Azerbaijan stand in solidarity with the friendly people of China, and his country stands ready to provide any assistance it can.

In a telephone conversation with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called for an objective and rational evaluation of the outbreak to avoid actions that may complicate the situation.

Also on Friday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed Pakistan's strong support for China's efforts to contain the novel coronavirus. While the global community has lauded China's timely and effective response, some countries are trying to create panic, which Pakistan strongly opposes, Qureshi told Wang by telephone.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters told Wang in a telephone conversation on Saturday that his country understands and respects China's position and supports the two countries' normal exchanges and population movement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also talked with Wang in calls on Saturday. While extending support for China in addressing the current challenges, they also praised the country's timely response in containing the contagion and the transparency of the process.

After the United States declared a public health emergency on Friday, disregarding the World Health Organization's opposition to restrictions on China trade and travel, Canada's Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Canada is not ready to declare a national emergency over the outbreak.

Hajdu told Canadian Broadcasting Corp on Friday that the current evidence doesn't justify such a declaration or restrictions on the movement of foreign nationals into the country such as the ones the US imposed.

Kung Phoak, deputy secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, called on Saturday for countries to stay calm and take united and coordinated actions in dealing with the outbreak.

The European Union has coordinated the efforts of its member states and facilitated the delivery of 12 tons of needed personal protective equipment to China, a spokesman for the Chinese mission to the EU said in an online statement on Sunday.

"It demonstrates the active support of EU institutions, governments and the people of member states to the Chinese government and people. China sincerely appreciates the good effort," the spokesman said, adding that safeguarding regional and global public health security is a shared responsibility of the international community.

Leaders of political parties in other countries have also sent letters to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, using the channel of party exchanges to lend support for China's efforts to prevent and control the disease.

Rena Li in Toronto contributed to this story.