RIYADH: King Salman called China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday and expressed his confidence in Beijing’s ability to deal with the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The king also said that he has directed the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to provide aid to China to help with the crisis. Opinion This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field) He offered his condolences to the families of those who have died from the virus and wished those who have it a speedy recovery. President Xi thanked the king for his support and said that Beijing has sufficient experience to deal with the outbreak. Read more: “Coronavirus: What the Middle East can do to stay safe” As of Thursday, China had 563 virus deaths and 28,018 confirmed cases on the mainland. Two other virus deaths occurred in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Besides Germany, Britain and Italy, other European nations with cases of the virus include France, Russia, Belgium, Sweden, Finland and Spain.