China and France have agreed to join hands to combat the spread of Ebola in West Africa.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, met in Beijing on Sunday and had an in-depth exchange of views on the effort.

According to a news release issued after the meeting, they agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing the epidemic, and carry out research on the Ebola virus through special laboratories in France and China.

They will step up exchanges between humanitarian and medical aid teams in epidemic-hit countries to share knowledge and experience on preventing and curing the disease.

China and France will also cooperate with a third country in areas affected by the disease to help improve the local public health system.

In the news release, they called on the international community to increase aid to the disease-affected countries.

On China-France ties, Wang said President Xi Jinping's visit to France in March has propelled bilateral relations to a new level in all areas, and Premier Li Keqiang held fruitful talks with French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit on Thursday.

He said the frequent exchanges between the leaders of the two countries fully reflect the quality of relations.

China and France should continue their high-level contact, advance practical cooperation, and focus on cooperative projects in areas of energy, aviation, finance and investment, Wang said.

They should also further facilitate contacts, step up people-to-people exchanges and deepen cooperation in regional and international affairs, he added.

Fabius said the two countries have seen close high-level contact and fruitful cooperation this year in the areas of strategy, economy, education, culture as well astechnology.

He said the two countries have held a series of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The countries should earnestly implement the consensus reached by the leaders and lift ties to a new level, he added.

(China Daily USA 10/21/2014 page6)