COVID-19 pandemic offers opportunity for enhancing Russia-China cooperation: media

Chinese medical experts pose for a photo before boarding a plane at an airport in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 11, 2020. (Photo by Xu Xu/Xinhua)

"Our countries lent a timely helping hand to each other amid the coronavirus pandemic. As they say in China, to send charcoal (to a neighbor) in snowy weather," said Konstantin Kosachev, Russian Federation Council deputy speaker.

MOSCOW, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia and China provided timely support to each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and need to deepen cooperation to restore cross-border exchanges, the TASS news agency has reported, citing a senior Russian official.

"Our countries lent a timely helping hand to each other amid the coronavirus pandemic. As they say in China, to send charcoal (to a neighbor) in snowy weather," Konstantin Kosachev, Russian Federation Council deputy speaker, said Tuesday at a virtual meeting between Russian and Chinese regional officials.

A plane carrying Chinese medical experts is seen at the airport in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 11, 2020.(Photo by Xu Xu/Xinhua)

The two sides have sent humanitarian supplies and medical experts, and coordinated efforts on border checkpoint systems and the repatriation of citizens, he said.

Kosachev noted that "further improvement of cooperation in this field remains in demand, considering the need to restore the normal rhythm of cross-border exchanges."