BEIJING — Vice-Premier Han Zheng held a phone conversation with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Feb 7 over China's combat against the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that in the face of the outbreak, Chinese President Xi Jinping has commanded and deployed the battle against the epidemic, adding that Premier Li Keqiang has put forward work requirements.

He also said that the CPC and the Chinese government always put the safety of people's lives and health first, and are carrying out an intensive and orderly response.

"We are confident and capable of winning the fight against the epidemic," Han said.

Public health incidents are a common challenge facing the world, and China will continue to carry out international cooperation vigorously, he said.

Noting that Singapore will provide China with funds, medicines and medical supplies such as testing kits, for which China is grateful, Han said that China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Singapore to jointly improve their capacity to fight epidemic.

For his part, Heng expressed his appreciation of and support for China's resolute and decisive anti-epidemic measures, saying that he is fully confident that China would win the battle against the epidemic.

Singapore is willing to stand with China through thick and thin, and provide the urgently needed medical supplies, Heng said.

The two sides agreed to include joint response to public health emergencies into the agenda of their new round of bilateral cooperation mechanism meeting.