Covid-19 outbreak brings rivals Japan and China together

In late January, photos of boxes of donated masks from Japan bearing a line of classical poetry went viral on Chinese social media. The Tang-dynasty text reads: "Foreign lands separated by mountains and rivers, we share the wind and moon under the same sky.- Weibo

BEIJING (AFP): As China faces increasing isolation, with some countries closing borders over coronavirus fears, an unlikely friend has emerged - historical arch-foe Japan.

After decades of war and animosity, donations and Japanese ballet dancers shouting their support are among the gestures that have endeared Japan to Chinese people and state media.