BEIJING — A total of 21 countries and the United Nations Children's Fund have donated epidemic prevention and control supplies to China, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Feb 5.

Those countries are the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Hungary, Belarus, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, spokesperson Hua Chunying said at an online press briefing.

Some other countries have also expressed their willingness to donate supplies, and people in many countries have offered support in various means, Hua said, adding that China welcomes and thanks the understanding, support and help from the international community.

Noting that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has recently commended and appreciated China's anti-coronavirus measures again in Chinese on twitter, Hua said it demonstrated the sincere and traditional friendship between people of the two countries.

Iran has provided 3 million surgical masks and expressed readiness to offer more assistance for China to fight against the virus, Hua said.

Hua noted that ROK President Moon Jae-in, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and many other state leaders and people from all walks of life have expressed their understandings to China as well.

She said China would continue to share information and strengthen cooperation with other countries in an open, transparent and responsible manner to safeguard the health of Chinese people and contribute to global and regional public health security.

"We have full confidence and capability in winning this battle at an early date," Hua said.