The serial Online Dialogue on People-to-people Cooperation, organized by the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Beijing NGO Network for International Exchanges and huanqiu.com, kicked off on Friday to explore ways to bring people from China and the world closer together during the COVID-19 outbreak.

At Friday's first event, themed "People-to-People Friendly Cooperation under the New Situation", Zhao Wenzhi, vice-president of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges, emphasized the significance of being together with international friends during such a challenging time for the whole world.

Zhao, also president of the Beijing NGO, said that the serial online dialogue is a practical measure to enhance friendly exchanges across countries and regions, contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Carol Robertson Lopez, chair-elect of the board of directors at Washington-based Sister Cities International, spoke highly of the help sister cities in China and the US have given each other during the pandemic.

"Problems can divide people, but problems should bring people together," she said.

Calling on both sides to join hands and fight the battle against the virus, Lopez said with Sister Cities and the association, "we are going to keep the emphasis on what's important, and that's the people-to-people sharing, because we are all experiencing the same thing with COVID-19".

John Ross, senior researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, rebutted false information on Western social media that claims China faked the number of deaths from the coronavirus.

He said the best way to convey the truth is through person-to-person communication. He suggested the Chinese public take photos of their daily lives to refute rumors spread in Western nations.

Yao Peisheng, former ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, also rebuked the smear campaign initiated by certain Western countries that attempt to negate China's efforts to fight COVID-19.

He stressed the importance of using new technological means for people-to-people exchanges between China and other nations.

Wang Huiyao, vice-president of Beijing NGO, focused on the role of think tanks to overcome challenges posed by the pandemic.

Making use of the internet as a new platform for exchanges between Chinese think tanks and their foreign counterparts, and actively participating in discussions about global governance reform is the direction for Chinese think tanks to move along, Wang said.

The Online Dialogue, guided by China NGO Network for International Exchanges, features more than 10 events on topics such as healthcare, sanitation, the economy, science and technology, agriculture and youth affairs.

It will continue to bring experts and professionals from different fields to share their opinions on how COVID-19 has changed the world and propose solutions.