Many Australian friends are concerned about the outbreak of novel coronavirus in China. I want to reassure everyone that in the face of this extraordinary challenges, China has started an all-out battle to prevent and control the virus with unprecedented actions.

The prevention and control of the outbreak is the most important task of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government.

President Xi Jinping has issued important instructions on many occasions, emphasising that we must put people's life and health as the top priority and take more resolute measures to curtail further spread of the virus.

The Chinese military has been ordered to actively participate in the nation's fight against the epidemic.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party has established a leading group to co-ordinate and command the whole country's efforts. A nationwide prevention and control system has been put in place. And the most comprehensive and rigorous measures have been enforced in both urban and rural areas in order to cut off the infection of the virus.

Premier Li Keqiang went to Wuhan to lead the fight against the epidemic.

China is racing against time. After just 10 days of construction, the first special infectious diseases hospital with 1000 beds went into operation yesterday in Wuhan. The second one, with 1600 beds, will be ready for use tomorrow.

The Ministry of Finance has so far allocated ¥4.4 billion ($936.5 million) to support the preventive and control endeavours across the country. True to the phrase "When disaster strikes, help comes from all sides", medical teams from other parts of the country have rushed to Hubei, and medical supplies are being continuously dispatched to Wuhan.

I am deeply moved by the dedication of medical staff. The 84-year-old academician Zhong Nanshan is at the forefront of fighting the epidemic. Nurse Li Hui, who was born after 1995, has said that if she dies from the virus, she wishes to donate her body for the purpose of learning more about the virus and finding a cure.

Tens of thousands of medical staff are on duty 24 hours a day, treating patients around the clock.

More and more good news is emerging on the fight against the epidemic. More than 470 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals. Chinese researchers have screened and found several effective drugs to control the novel coronavirus, and the vaccine research and development is accelerating.

China has been co-operating internationally in epidemic prevention and control in an open, transparent, and responsible manner.

It notified the World Health Organisation, other affected countries, and China's Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions about the epidemic at the earliest possible time, and shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus in a timely manner, which demonstrates China's leading role in global public health.

China has taken various measures to protect the health and safety of foreign nationals in the country, and to ensure daily needs can all be met.

China is proving to the world with its actions that the epidemic in general is preventable, controllable and curable.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has pointed out that President Xi's personal guidance and deployment shows his great leadership capability for epidemic prevention and control.

China's decisive and effective measures not only show a high level of responsibility for the lives and health of its people, but also underline its strong support for global disease prevention and control.

As the WHO chief noted, if it were not for the efforts of the Chinese government, the world would have seen more cases and even deaths outside of China. China's efforts deserve respect and appreciation.

Many preventive and control measures taken by China far exceed the requirements for responding to emergencies, and set a new standard for outbreak response in the world.

The WHO statement emphasises that the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern is not because of what is happening in China, but to support countries with weaker health systems in preventing the spread of the virus. It is not a vote of no confidence in China.

On the contrary, the WHO continues to have confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak. Tedros has stressed that there is no reason to take unnecessary measures to interfere with international travel and trade.

In talks with State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, foreign ministers from Russia, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Australia all spoke highly of the Chinese government's decisive measures, appreciated China's determination and courage to fight the epidemic, and offered to provide necessary assistance.

In this era of globalisation, the destinies of countries are closely linked and they share many common grounds. We thank the international community for its full understanding and support for China, and China stands ready to co-operate with other countries to combat the epidemic.

The Chinese nation has withstood many ups and downs, and there is nothing we can't get through.

It's my firm belief that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party, with the prevention and control system established after the outbreak of SARS, and with the strong scientific and technological and material foundations accumulated over the 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, as well as international support, the Chinese people have the confidence, capability and resources to prevail over the epidemic and make an important contribution to promoting global public health and international co-operation.