BEIJING — China welcomes an agreement reached by EU health ministers that they see no need to ban Chinese travelers from entering the Schengen area, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Feb 14.

According to reports, EU health ministers agreed to increase preparations and coordination to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading across Europe during a special meeting in Brussels on Feb 13.

EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides reportedly said the EU is not considering banning Chinese travelers from entering its visa-free Schengen area at the moment and they should have faith in the measures being taken by member states and China to contain the virus.

Spokesperson Geng Shuang said China welcomes the agreement, and the international community needs to enhance coordination and cooperation to make a collective response to the epidemic as the virus knows no borders.

"We hope relevant countries will stay calm, make science-based assessments and rational responses, and respect the WHO's authoritative recommendations," Geng said.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China and the EU have been in close communication and cooperation, and China wants to express heartfelt thanks to the EU and its member states for their support and assistance, Geng added.

He said China will continue with its exchange of information and cooperation with the WHO and the international community in an open, transparent and responsible way and strive to achieve victory against the epidemic as soon as possible.