BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will continue to provide as much assistance as it can to South Korea to support the latter's fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a message of sympathy recently sent to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Xi said the Chinese side stands ready to join hands with the South Korean side to win the fight against the epidemic at an early date, so as to protect the life and health of the people of the two countries and the wider world.

China and South Korea are friendly neighbors that help each other and stick together through thick and thin, Xi said, adding that the South Korean government and people from all walks of life have previously expressed their sympathies to China over the epidemic and provided a lot of help, and that President Moon stressed in particular that China's difficulties are South Korea's difficulties.

The Chinese leader pointed out that epidemics know no borders, and all countries worldwide are part of a community with a shared future, and that the Chinese government and people empathize with the South Korean side in its struggle against the epidemic and related difficulties.

Xi also said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-South Korea relations, and is willing to work with Moon to jointly lift the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to higher levels for the benefit of the two countries and their people.