Last week, President Trump and President Xi had a very good,productive phone conversation regarding the global COVID-19pandemic. And, over the weekend, I spoke with Vice Foreign MinisterZheng Zeguang about our countries’ joint efforts to combatCOVID-19. I underscored that now is the time to look forward, andrelayed my appreciation for Chinese efforts to assist ourgovernment in the export of needed medical supplies to the UnitedStates.
The U.S. Embassy has already been hard at work bringing U.S. andChinese companies together to meet the growing immediate needs forcritical personal protective equipment in the United States. And weare working closely with Chinese government officials to facilitatethe shipment of those supplies out of China. No one country canfight this battle alone, and I am confident that our two countrieswill continue to find ways to jointly cooperate to combat thiscommon enemy that threatens the lives of all of us.
As the entire U.S. Mission to China continues our support andconcern for our Chinese colleagues who work for Embassy Beijing andour five Consulates, we now look homeward with concern for thehealth and safety of our own families, friends, and loved ones backin the United States. The work we are all doing is crucial, and Iencourage everyone to continue your valiant efforts to fight thispandemic.
Moving forward together, I know that we will get through thesedifficult times.