TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s remarks fully reflect the traditional friendship and sincere partnership between China and Iran, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

She made the remarks when asked to comment on Zarif's appreciation for China's response to the pneumonia outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus.

“State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has conveyed an oral message to Foreign Minister Zarif to express thanks to the Iranian side,” Hua said.

The Chinese spokesperson added, “At present, the Chinese government is taking resolute and forceful measures to conduct scientific and effective prevention and control of the epidemic, and maintaining close cooperation with the World Health Organization and other international partners. We are fully confident that the outbreak will be brought under control and defeated as soon as possible.”

In a post on his Twitter account on Thursday, Zarif expressed Iran’s support for the Chinese people following the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus in the East Asian country.

He also praised the Chinese government for responding in a timely and decisive manner in the fight against the new coronavirus-infected pneumonia epidemic.

People from all over the country were united in their hearts, so that there was confidence that China would win the epidemic prevention and control war, Zarif added.

The Iranian foreign minister also expressed hope that all Chinese people would have a healthy and peaceful Spring Festival and wished them health in the Chinese Year of the Rat.

Regardless of adversity, Iran has always stood by the Chinese people, Zarif underlined.

According to the New York Times, a top Chinese health official warned on Sunday that the spread of the dangerous new coronavirus, already extraordinarily rapid, is accelerating further, deepening global fears about an illness that has sickened more than 2,700 people worldwide and killed at least 80 people in China.

People who are carrying the virus but not showing symptoms may still be able to infect others, according to the Chinese official, Ma Xiaowei, the director of China’s National Health Commission. Such asymptomatic transmissions would make the disease much more difficult to control, as seemingly healthy people travel and interact with others.

MH/PA