China's vaccine research and development for the novel coronavirus is on pace with global progress, said Zhang Xinmin, Director of the Biology Center of China's Ministry of Science and Technology.

The novelty of the coronavirus means that the search for a vaccine is challenging and time consuming, said Zhang. To conquer the difficulty, China has implemented multiple technical strategies to advance vaccine development.

According to Zhang, some vaccine varieties have entered animal trial stage. He also stressed that vaccines are used on healthy people, thus safety is the top priority, so researchers and scientists need time to develop a safe and effective vaccine.