China, emerging from the most difficult time in its own battle, has been standing with Europe at a time when the COVID-19 epidemic is spreading across the continent.

BRUSSELS/BEIJING, March 20  -- "China's experience is very valuable and can help Europe avoid detours," Jean-Pierre Armand, oncologist based in Paris at Gustave Roussy Institute, told reporters after a video conference with his Chinese peers on Thursday.

The tele-meeting on response to the novel coronavirus outbreak was joined by health officials and experts from China and more than 10 European countries, including France, Portugal and Denmark.

Last week, a similar video conference was held between China and 17 Central and Eastern European countries.

China, emerging from the most difficult time in its own battle, has been standing with Europe at a time when the COVID-19 epidemic is spreading across the continent.

"WHAT WE CALL SOLIDARITY"

Italy is Europe's hardest-hit. As of Thursday, the count of cases has reached 41,035 with 3,405 deaths, according to the latest data released by the Civil Protection Department.

On March 12, one day before the World Health Organization announced that Europe has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of nine Chinese aid professionals arrived in Rome with tons of medical supplies including 700 ventilators, monitors and defibrillators, as part of China's efforts to help Italy contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"This evening I wanted to show you the first aid arrived from China," Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio said during an emotional speech in a Facebook live broadcast, shortly after the Chinese team's landing. He pointed to his laptop which showed a group of Chinese nationals coming off the plane.

"These are the specialised medical staff who faced the coronavirus emergency in China, and in this moment have arrived in Rome," Di Maio said. "This is what we call solidarity."