UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday praised China's efforts in the global fight against the COVID-19, noting that its sacrifice is a great contribution to all mankind.

After discussing the COVID-19 outbreak with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva, Guterres called on all countries to assume their responsibilities in combating the COVID-19.

The UN chief urged all countries to "do everything to be prepared" for containing the epidemic, stressing the principles of non-discrimination and non-stigmatization and noting that human rights should be respected.

"If some fail, if some do not do everything that is needed, this disease can still become out of control with dramatic consequences in global health and economy," he warned.

In response to a question from Xinhua, Guterres expressed his gratitude to all the people in China who are sacrificing many aspects of their normal lives to prevent the virus from spreading to others.

The decline of the number of new cases since the beginning of February is a very good indication, Guterres said, expressing the hope that this trend can be maintained on a continuous basis.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spoke highly of Guterres' comments.

The virus is a challenge facing the international community, thus the effective measures China took are not only responsible for Chinese people, but for the whole world, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.

So far, world leaders and chief officers from over 170 countries and more than 40 world organizations have voiced their confidence in China, Zhao said, adding China's commitment to make arrangements for the virus prevention and control at next level, and share experiences with relevant countries so as to follow the call for a community with a shared future for mankind.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) speaks on the situation regarding the COVID-19 at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, February 24, 2020. /Xinhua)