RAMALLAH, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China will stand firm together with Palestine in the fight against COVID-19, said a senior Chinese diplomat here on Wednesday.

"As the coronavirus is hitting the Middle East region, Palestine faces an arduous task in fighting the pandemic," said Guo Wei, director of the Office of the People's Republic of China to the State of Palestine, while meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.

"China empathizes with Palestine for its losses," said Guo, adding that China is ready to provide assistance within its capacity and share anti-coronavirus experience with Palestine.

He believed that after overcoming the pandemic, the Sino-Palestinian cooperation in various fields will reach a new level.

The Chinese senior diplomat expressed his thanks for the Palestinian leadership's support and condolences to China during China's ongoing fight against the coronavirus, saying that this demonstrates the profound friendship of sharing weal and woe.

For his part, al-Maliki said the remarkable achievements China has made in fighting the coronavirus deserve the respect and reference of the rest of the world.

While thanking for China's strong support and help, the Palestinian foreign minister hopes to continue strengthening cooperation and exchanging experience so as to join hands to get rid of the pandemic.

On Wednesday, 15 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the West Bank, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Palestine to 134, said Palestinian Spokesman Ibrahim Milhem.