BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- China has full confidence and capability to win the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Hua Chunying made the remarks in a press statement after the World Health Organization (WHO) said the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

"Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people's health," Hua said, adding that many of these measures go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations.

"We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic," said the spokesperson.

She said that at the same time, the Chinese side informed relevant sides and shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus in a timely manner with openness, transparency and a responsible attitude.

"WHO and many countries have recognized and commended this," she said.

Hua said China has been in close communication and cooperation with WHO.

"WHO experts recently conducted a field trip to Wuhan. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also visited China and discussed containment and mitigation of the 2019-nCoV with the Chinese side."

Noting that Tedros commended China's efforts and spoke highly of China's great contribution to the world by fighting against the novel coronavirus, Hua said the country will continue working with WHO and other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security.