The defense chiefs of South Korea and China held phone talks on Wednesday to discuss defense exchanges and cooperation and responses to the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to Seoul's Defense Ministry, Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, exchanged opinions on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, their responses to the coronavirus outbreak and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in defense fields.

In the talks, Jeong said that the country managed to stabilize the virus situation thanks to the government's preemptive quarantine efforts and citizens' cooperation, adding the military also played an active role in the pan-government anti-virus efforts. 

The Chinese minister reportedly praised the two countries' efforts to contain the coronavirus and shared the need to continue cooperation between Seoul and Beijing. 

The ministers agreed to work together to push for defense exchanges and cooperation and the establishment of military hotlines between their air forces and navies.