WHO leader praises China's response to novel coronavirus outbreak

China's powerful system and the effective measures it has taken to prevent and control novel coronavirus-related pneumonia are rarely seen in the world, Director-General of the United Nations' World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday.

Ghebreyesus made the remarks while meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.

The WHO and the international community highly appreciates, and fully affirms the decisive measures the Chinese government has taken to deal with the outbreak and also thank China for its tremendous efforts to curb the spread of the contagion, he said.

China set a record in identifying the pathogen in a short time following the outbreak of the contagious disease, Ghebreyesus said, and he praised the country's timely sharing of the virus' DNA information with the WHO and other countries.

The WHO hopes to strengthen cooperation with China and also stands ready to provide all necessary assistance in line with the country's need, he added.

Regarding some countries' intention to withdraw their nationals from China, particularly those in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, Ghebreyesus said the WHO does not support such a move. He said that in current circumstances, countries should stay calm and avoid overreacting.

The WHO has full confidence in China's capability of preventing and controlling the contagion, Ghebreyesus said.