On February 14, 2020 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met at request with Foreign Minister Paul Gallagher of the Vatican in Munich.

Paul Gallagher said, at the critical moment of the Chinese side's fight against the epidemic, on behalf of Pope Francis and Secretary of State, I conveyed the Holy See's respect and support to the Chinese side. I believe the Chinese side has the wisdom and courage to overcome the epidemic at an early date. Pope Francis is familiar with China and exchanges between the two sides. The provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops signed by the two sides in 2018 is very important and will help promote the well-being of Catholics and the Chinese people and benefit world peace.

Wang Yi first thanked Paul Gallagher for conveying sympathies from the Holy See. Wang Yi said, viruses are the common enemy of mankind, and the international community needs to work together to deal with them. The current epidemic has been effectively controlled. China is a major country with 5,000 years of civilization. It has experienced ups and downs in history. This epidemic also cannot stop us from marching forward towards national rejuvenation. I believe that the Vatican side will play a constructive role to promote the international community to support and cooperate with the Chinese side's efforts in fighting against the epidemic with an objective, rational and scientific attitude, and jointly safeguard world health and safety.

Wang Yi said, Pope Francis publicly expressed his love and blessings for China on many occasions. The first meeting between the Chinese and Vatican Foreign Ministers was held today, which is a continuation of the exchanges between China and the Vatican for a period of time, and will open up more space for the future exchanges between the two sides. The provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops signed by the two sides is a groundbreaking practice and has achieved positive results. The Chinese side is willing to further enhance understanding with the Vatican side and accumulate mutual trust, so that the momentum of active interaction between the two sides will continue to move forward.

During the meeting, the two sides also agreed that both sides should focus on the overall situation and jointly promote mutual respect and mutual learning among different civilizations to create a peaceful world.