BEIJING -- China and France agreed Sunday to join hands to combat the "unprecedented" spread of Ebola in western part of Africa.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius met in Beijing Sunday, and they had an in-depth exchange of views in this regard.

According to a joint press release issued after the meeting, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing the epidemic, and carry out joint research on the Ebola virus through the P4 laboratories located in France and China.

The two sides will step up exchanges between their humanitarian and medical aid teams in epidemic-hit countries to share knowledge and experience on preventing and curing the disease.

China and France will also cooperate with a third country in the disease-affected areas to help improve the local public health system.

In the press release, the two sides called on the international community to increase aid to the disease-affected countries.

On China-France ties, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to France in March has propelled bilateral relations to a new level in all areas, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has held fruitful talks with French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit Thursday.

He said the frequent exchanges between the leaders of the two countries fully reflect the quality and level of bilateral relations.

China and France should continue the high-level contact, advance practical cooperation, and focus on cooperative projects in areas of energy, aviation, finance and investment, Wang said.

The two sides should also further facilitate personnel contact, step up people-to-people exchanges, and deepen cooperation in regional and international affairs, he added.

Fabius said the two countries have seen close high-level contact and fruitful cooperation in areas of strategy, economy, education, culture and technology so far this year.

He said the two sides have jointly held a series of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The two countries should earnestly implement the consensus reached by the leaders and lift the ties to a new level, he added.