Medical experts to Italy prepare to board a plane in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 25, 2020. A team of 14 medical experts from eastern China's Fujian Province departed on a chartered flight to Italy on Wednesday morning to aid the European country's fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. Previously, China had sent two medical groups with a total of 22 people along with more than 20 tonnes of medical supplies to support Italy's epidemic fight. Photo: Xinhua

Seventy-nine countries and 10 international organizations have extended support to China to battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Luo Zhaohui, vice foreign minister of China, said at the press conference on Thursday in Beijing.

China is grateful for the overwhelming support and is willing to give back by continuing to send medical experts to countries in need, officials noted at the press conference. 

China has announced to provide emergent support to 80 countries and regions to aid the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, Luo said, noting that the country has sent seven groups of medical experts to five countries, including Italy, Iran, Iraq, Serbia and Cambodia.

China has also provided four shipments of emergency materials to Pakistan and vowed to help the latter build a quarantine hospital, Deng Boqing, vice chairperson of China International Development Cooperation Agency, said at the press conference. 

China has shared its diagnosis and treatment plans for COVID-19 with 180 countries, regions and international organizations, Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said at the press conference. 

According to Xu Nanping, vice minister of science and technology, at the same press conference, China had held more than 30 video conferences with experts from over 100 countries and regions to share experiences on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He noted that China has also been proactively collaborating with the international community in vaccine research and development. Chinese companies are currently working with American and British companies in specific vaccines development on the novel coronavirus.