India, China can cooperate in developing COVID-19 vaccine: Indian envoy

India and China should pool in their scientific and technological resources to develop a vaccine to contain the deadly novel coronavirus, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri has said.

"We could cooperate on the development of vaccine for this virus...It will be of great value for the world at large at the end of day, we do have a very large scientific and technological manpower in our two countries," Misri said in an interview to state-run CGTN here.

He said there should be global cooperation to contain the COVID-19.

The enemy is not an individual, a country or a group of countries. It is a virus that doesn't discriminate. It is not only important for the countries to put aside their differences but also rise above those differences. We have to realise that we are all in this together," he said.

According to estimates by the Johns Hopkins University, there are over 1.44 million confirmed coronavirus cases across the world and over 82,000 people have died of it.

Misri said China and India can cooperate on scientific and medical research side in health sector and in the epidemiological sector as well as it will be useful for scientists and institutes of virology from both the countries to be in touch with each other.

He said India is in the process of procuring quality medical equipment in orderly and stable manner from China to deal with the coronavirus outbreak at home.

When China was dealing with coronavirus crisis in January-February this year, India through a process of consultations provided 15 tonnes of medical assistance, Misri recalled.

"There is a lot of room for cooperation. In the present case, we are commercially procuring (medial equipment) wherever it is available. China happens to be country where a lot of it is available," he said.

He said India has requested for assistance of the Chinese government in identifying the bonafide suppliers of these materials.

"What is important is for quality material to be supplied at prices that are reasonable and stable," he said.

China is one of the largest manufacturers of the PPE (Personnel protection equipment) ventilators and other such equipment, he said.

On the 70 years of establishment of the diplomatic relations starting from April 1, he said 70 events planned by the two governments to celebrate the occasion is affected by coronavirus pandemic in both the countries.

"Broadly I would say in India there is a recognition that this (India-China ties) is an important relationship", bilaterally, regionally and for the world at large, the diplomat said.

On April 1, 1950, India became the first non-Communist country in Asia to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Misri said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important contribution to the relations of the two countries by establishing informal summit mechanism. The two leaders held two informal summits in Wuhan in 2018 and in Chennai in 2019.

"What is really important is the underlying common understanding between the two leaders that our differences must not be allowed to be turned into disputes," Misri said.

"This is a good understanding on the basis for us to proceed. We both need to see that there are sensitive issues on both sides and if respect these sensitivities and conduct accordingly the relations will progress," he said.