BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe spoke with Malaysia's Senior Minister of Defence Hishammuddin Hussein in a video call Monday.

As COVID-19 pandemic ravages the world, the global economy is struggling to recover, and the international order is undergoing profound change, Wei said.

Wei said China is willing to work with Malaysia to oppose hegemonism and power politics, strengthen communication and properly address differences on the South China Sea, and jointly uphold peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

He called on the two militaries to maintain high-level communication, promote cooperation-mechanism building, strengthen multilateral coordination and continuously enhance practical cooperation.

Hishammuddin expressed his gratitude to China for help in epidemic prevention.

He said Malaysia is willing to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China in the fight against COVID-19 and military affairs, and advance relations between the countries and their militaries.