ANKARA, March 26 (Xinhua) — International cooperation on a global scale is a must when fighting the coronavirus pandemic and China can play a big role in this process, a Turkish expert said Wednesday.

“Because of its efforts and knowledge in tackling this crisis and its success in doing so, China can play a locomotive role in establishing a common understanding in the Group of 20 (G20),” said Huseyin Bagci, president of the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute and professor of international relations at the Middle East Technical University (METU), in an interview with Xinhua.

The founding mission of the G20 is to lead and coordinate other nations in times of crisis and tackling this global pandemic requires international cooperation and collaboration, the expert said.

“The outbreak is global and doesn’t differentiate the West from the East, nor the rich from the poor. The G20 cannot stay indifferent to this global crisis which needs global responsibility,” Bagci said.

A special G20 leaders’ virtual summit on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic will be held on Thursday, hosted by Saudi Arabia, the current G20 presidency.

Despite their differences in approaching the crisis, major governments should coordinate their policies and measures in the fight against the pandemic and promote stability at the virtual summit, Bagci noted.

Facing such challenges, the international community should focus more on international cooperation and motivate regional organizations, such as the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to promote regional coordination.

The effective way that China has dealt with the outbreak is recognized by the international community, Bagci said, adding that countries at the summit will be keen to benefit from China’s medical experience and knowledge.

Bagci said this could also be an opportunity for all countries to put aside their differences and pull together.

On the economic front, the expert said the G20 should also play a leading role in helping the world ride out the aftershocks of the disease, as “the G20 is a group that produces ideas and solutions towards a common ground and despite different opinions.”