• There were 4,170,424 confirmed cases (81,577 new) globally, and 287,399 people (4,245 new) have lost their lives by 10:00 CEST May 13, according to the daily COVID-19 situation report released by the World Health Organization.
• The Chinese mainland reported 7 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 0:00 to 24:00 on May 12, according to the National Health Commission on May 13. Also on May 12, 8 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported on the mainland. 
• Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that cooperation between China and South Korea against the COVID-19 pandemic is effective and has contributed useful experience to and set a good example of cooperation for the global fight against the coronavirus disease.
• Xinhua reported that Russia confirms 10,028 new cases, global economy ravaged by pandemic.

China and Korea effectively cooperate against COVID-19 

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that cooperation between China and South Korea against the COVID-19 pandemic is effective and has contributed useful experience to and set a good example of cooperation for the global fight against the coronavirus disease. Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation in the night with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Xi noted that with arduous efforts, China and South Korea have both effectively contained the epidemic, and that in the joint fight against COVID-19, the two countries have always been helping and supporting each other.

A job seeker wearing a mask walks past the employment information bulletin board in Ansan, South Korea, March 26, 2020. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)

China and South Korea, he said, took the lead in establishing a cooperation mechanism on joint prevention and control of the epidemic, and have each registered not a single case imported from the other. While maintaining effective COVID-19 prevention and control, the two sides also took the lead in opening a "fast-track lane" for essential personnel on urgent visits to ensure the smooth operation of industrial chains, supply chains and logistics chains in the region, he added. Their effective cooperation, Xi pointed out, has contributed to both countries' combat against the contagious illness, and also illustrated the principle that "a good neighbor is not to be traded for gold."

China is willing to work with South Korea to continuously push forward bilateral and international cooperation on fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi said, suggesting that the two sides continue to strengthen cooperation in joint epidemic prevention and control as well as in research and development of medicines and vaccines.

He also called for concerted efforts to support the World Health Organization in playing its due role, and cement communication and coordination within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations, the Group of 20, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan and South Korea.

The updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic

Photo taken on May 6, 2020 shows a temporarily closed pizza restaurant in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

According to Xinhua News, Russia has confirmed 10,028 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 242,271, its coronavirus response center said in a statement Wednesday.

The transformation of the global energy system could be derailed as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause economic and social damage, the World Economic Forum warned Wednesday in an annual energy transition report. In its report titled "Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2020: from crisis to rebound," the forum said that the global energy transition from carbon fuels to climate-friendly energy sources has been moving at a slow but steady pace.

South Korea's job loss hit the worst in over 21 years in April as companies led employees to go on an unpaid leave or be laid off amid the COVID-19 outbreak, statistical office data showed Wednesday. The number of those employed totaled 26,562,000 in April, down 476,000 from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. It was the biggest reduction in more than 21 years since February 1999.

The Petronas Twin Towers are illuminated in blue to show the appreciation for the efforts of people who fight at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Malaysia's economic growth eased sharply to 0.7 percent in the first quarter, dragged by the spreading of COVID-19 pandemic, the central bank said Wednesday. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the central bank, said in a statement that services and manufacturing sectors moderated while other sectors contracted. External demand and investment also declined while private consumption growth moderated.

Thailand on Wednesday saw zero new COVID-19 case, the first time since Jan. 13 when the first case was recorded in the country, Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said Wednesday.