Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2020 shows an exterior view of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Liu Qu)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Wang said:

- Supporting the WHO and its director-general is to safeguard the philosophy and principle of multilateralism;

- Chinese government and people firmly support the WHO;

- WHO is needed to continue to play its due and important role in the fight against the epidemic;

- The smears and attacks against the WHO have no factual basis, and pressure and coercion will not enjoy popular support.

BEIJING, April 19  -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that at the critical moment when the world is combating the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) and its director-general is to safeguard the philosophy and principle of multilateralism.

He made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noting that the support is also an act to secure the United Nations' status and role and maintain the international solidarity in the face of the disease.

Wang said he made the phone call to show that the Chinese government and people firmly support the WHO, expressing confidence that fair-minded people will tell right from wrong, and that the international community and people across the world hold the same attitude.

Noting that Tedros was elected as the WHO director-general with a large margin and has since won a high degree of trust of member states, Wang said that Tedros, as the first director-general from a developing country on the African continent in particular, also symbolizes the advancement and development of human civilization.