Russia and China are working jointly to develop a coronavirus vaccine and Beijing has handed over the genome of the virus to Moscow, the Russian consulate in China’s Guangzhou said on Wednesday.
“Russian and Chinese experts have begun developing a vaccine,” the consulate said in a statement on its website.
Russia has not had any confirmed cases of the new virus.
Foreign airlines began suspending flights to and from China on Wednesday as global fears mountedover the epidemic that has killed 132 people and infected nearly 6,000.
The announcements came hours after countries began airlifts to evacuate foreigners trapped in Wuhan, the quarantined central Chinese city of 11 million people at the epicenter of the health emergency.
A growing number of governments, including the United States, Britain and Germany, have in recent days advised their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China over concerns about the viral outbreak.
