Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said on Saturday that the two countries should "guard against any 'political virus'" that prevents them from working together, following Washington's comments and moves about the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. 

"I suggest that we should guard against any 'political virus' that prevents China and the U.S. from joining hands to counter their common challenges," Cui said at the Forum on U.S.-China Relations in San Diego. 

"There may be someone who try to get political and economic gains from the current situation to push for the 'decoupling' of our peoples," he added. "Such an attempt goes against the spirit of humanitarianism and the common interests of our people. It should be firmly rejected by all of us." 

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that the epidemic could "help" to bring jobs back to the U.S.. Some other officials suggested that China is not cooperating with the U.S.. The State Department later raised its travel advisory for China to the highest level, same as for Iraq and Afghanistan.  

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Saturday that the U.S. has set a bad example. "It is certainly not a gesture of goodwill," she stressed. 

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Noting that fighting the outbreak is the "top priority for China," Cui said at the forum that China has been "sharing information and strengthening cooperation with the WHO and other countries in an open, transparent and responsible way." 

He expressed "heartfelt thanks to the American people" for their support to China at the special moment, saying China is "fully confident and capable to win the battle." 

The ambassador reiterated China's commitment to building a community with a shared future for mankind.  

"The fight against the coronavirus outbreak shows again that we live in a shared community where all of us are interlinked and interdependent," Cui said. "Countries must join hands to cope with the difficulties and challenges they face." 

China and the U.S. "can get things done if we go for cooperation," but both will lose if "we end up in confrontation," he said.