On 11 May, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with Foreign Minister Téte António of Angola.

Wang said that China and Angola are important strategic partners enjoying strong political trust and a good growth momentum in bilateral relations. China is heartened to see that under the leadership of President João Lourenço, the Angolan government has taken decisive measures and made good progress in fighting COVID-19. Two batches of in-kind assistance from the Chinese government have arrived in Angola. China will continue to share experience with Angola and facilitate its procurement of medical supplies from China.

Noting the large number of Chinese companies and personnel in Angola, Wang expressed confidence that Angola would take good care of their health and safety and protect their legitimate rights and interests. He added that China is ready to build on the profound friendship between the two peoples and solidify public support for bilateral ties through more sister city interactions.

Wang pointed out that China and Africa have a longstanding friendship and a tradition of helping and supporting each other in times of difficulty. China feels keenly for its African brothers in the face of the COVID-19 challenge. Despite the demanding situation at home, China has sent multiple tranches of emergency supplies to African countries. Local governments and various social sectors in China have also extended a helping hand.

So far, China has sent expert teams to all five sub-regions in Africa, benefiting countries in their neighborhood. Nearly 30 video conferences were organized with African experts. Chinese medical teams in Africa held nearly 400 training sessions to share experience, benefiting over 20,000 local health workers. China takes seriously the adverse impact of COVID-19 on Africa's economy. It has pushed for and supported G20's suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries and will work shoulder to shoulder with Africa through this challenging time.

Wang said that the virus poses a common challenge to humanity and requires a united response from the international community. He expressed confidence that African brothers including Angola will guard against attempts to use the virus as an excuse to discredit China or sow discord between China and Africa. He expected Africa to join China in giving staunch support to the World Health Organization.

António lauded China's important contribution to the global response, appreciated China's strong support and selfless assistance, and thanked China for taking good care of the Angolan students in China. He expressed Angola's readiness for closer cooperation in fighting the virus and more sister city interactions with China to deepen the solidarity and friendship between the two countries and peoples. He noted the unanimous AU support for WHO and Director-General Tedros and the wide acclaim they have received from various quarters. He observed that the only way for countries to defeat the virus, this common enemy, is through greater solidarity and cooperation and with the help of WHO.