China, France collaborate on virus research lab

China and France are jointly constructing a top-level biosafety lab in Wuhan, Hubei province, which will facilitate scientific research into dangerous viruses such as Ebola, according to French ambassador to China Sylvie Bermann.

She made the remarks at the Sino-France Health Forum in Beijing on Friday, adding that the lab will play an important role in both countries' capacity in outbreak control and prevention.

The two countries have launched a partnership in epidemic control and lab testing of the virus in the global combat against Ebola outbreaks in West Africa, "and that opens a new era of bilateral collaboration, particularly in international emergency response," said Ma Xiaowei, vice-minister of China's National Health and Family Planning, during the forum.

Health officials and industry practitioners from both countries also discussed potential cooperation in fields such as hospital management, responses to an ageing society and chronic disease intervention.

Chen Zhu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and a former minister of health, said he expects China and France will keep deepening their cooperation in the fields of public health and medical care.

"The cooperation is also a boost to the advancement of medical science worldwide," said Chen, who has trained in France.