This file photo shows the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington. Photo: VCG

International organizations have voiced support and recognition of China's efforts to combat and contain the novel coronavirus, expressing confidence in China's economic resilience to withstand the outbreak.

World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday spoke highly of China's effective control measures to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak, and called on all countries to invest in preparedness, not panic to manage the epidemic.

"If it weren't for China's efforts, the number of cases outside China would have been very much higher," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board meeting.  

Other organizations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank also expressed confidence in the country's ability to fight the epidemic and maintain resilience in its economy - which has been the growth engine of the world in the past decades.

"We support China's response efforts, by taking measures with all the strength of its health system, but also by recent fiscal, monetary and financial actions. We are confident in the resilience of China's economy," IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday.

In a statement published on its website on Monday, the World Bank said that it supports China's response efforts including maintaining resilience in its economy.

"Chinese authorities have policy space to respond and have announced a sizeable injection of liquidity, which should help mitigate the costs to economic growth,"the World Bank said in a tweet on Monday.

China has released a slew of policies to contain the impact on its economy and unveiled measures such as tax reductions to relieve the burden on its enterprises, which have been under pressure during the virus outbreak. 

On Tuesday, China's central bank put 500 billion yuan ($71.42 billion) into the banking system via reverse repos, after an injection of 1.2 trillion yuan into the markets via open market operations on Monday to maintain sound operation of market funds amid the outbreak.

More fiscal and monetary policies from the central government, support to small and medium enterprises from local authorities and other emergency measures intended to relieve pressure on the country's economy will be further unveiled, Wang Jun, chief economist at Zhengzhou-based Zhongyuan Bank, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The virus has had a growing impact on the Chinese economy, especially on consumption, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.

However, this impact is temporary and periodic and will not change the fundamentals of China's long-term positive economic outlook,Hua said, adding that "We have the ability and confidence to win the battle in preventing and controlling the outbreak and minimizing the impacts of the epidemic on the economy. We are full of confidence regarding the future of the Chinese economy." 

Hua also said that China has been taking the most comprehensive measures in the nation's history in battling the novel coronavirus outbreak, and such efforts are effectively curbing the spread of the disease to other parts of the world.

Citing an epidemic report released by the WHO, Hua said that there were 153 confirmed cases of the viral infection in other countries, less than 1 percent of the total in China.

"It is efforts made by the Chinese side that have effectively prevented the epidemic from spreading to other countries," she noted.


Newspaper headline: Intl community voices support for China