BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on deepening the two countries' cooperation to combat COVID-19 in a phone conversation on Wednesday.

When China was at its hardest moment in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his sympathy in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and all sectors of the Ukrainian society expressed their support to the Chinese people in various ways, Wang said.

Now that Ukraine is also facing the threat of the virus, China is ready to assist Ukraine in medical supplies within its capacity and share experience on COVID-19 prevention and control without reservation, he added.

Stressing the strategic partnership between the two countries, Wang said China is ready to further deepen its cooperation with Ukraine on co-building the Belt and Road, and turn the potential of cooperation between the two sides into practical results.

There are about 4,000 Chinese nationals working, studying and living in Ukraine, Wang said, adding that he hopes and believes that the Ukrainian side will provide necessary support and help to them and guarantee their health and safety.

Wang said the pandemic is a global challenge that needs joint response from the international society. As a responsible country, China has been sharing information with other countries and carrying out international cooperation in an open and transparent manner from the outset, he said.

Now upholding the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, China has provided necessary assistance such as medical supplies to more than 100 countries in need, and contributed to safeguarding global public health, Wang said.

Any attempt to slander China's anti-epidemic efforts is groundless and untenable, said the Chinese foreign minister.

Kuleba said that China has become a model of effectively dealing with the virus, adding that against the backdrop of the pandemic sweeping across the world, countries can only overcome the difficulties together through united efforts.

Some politicians have smeared China for their own purposes, and their remarks are utterly groundless, said the Ukrainian foreign minister.

Kuleba expressed his sincere gratitude to China for actively providing Ukraine with anti-epidemic supplies, saying his country is willing to learn from China's experience and continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China so as to jointly combat the epidemic.

The Ukrainian government attaches great importance to the development of relations with China and is willing to push for further development of the two sides' strategic partnership, Kuleba said, adding that Ukraine will do its utmost to guarantee the health and safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine.