BEIJING — China will strive to maintain the stable domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and ensure the security of the global supply chain, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on March 30.

Currently, more than 80 percent of China's pharmaceutical ingredients production has resumed, with the output of some products having surpassed the level recorded in the same period last year, Xin Guobin, vice-minister of the MIIT, told a press briefing.

In particular, China has prioritized the supply of drugs used to combat COVID-19, he said.

Having more than 1,500 production enterprises, China is the world's largest producer and exporter of pharmaceutical ingredients with an annual output of around 3 million metric tons, according to the vice-minister.

The MIIT will further solve difficulties facing enterprises, enhance coordination with relevant international agencies and work to increase the supply to the international market, he said.