China will continue to strengthen exchange and cooperation in fighting the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other countries, including the United States, an official from China's top health authority said Wednesday.

Following the outbreak, China has been in close contact with the WHO and governments of other countries and regions and shared epidemic information and the genetic sequence of the new virus with all the world as soon as possible to contribute to global control and prevention of the virus, said the official, from the National Health Commission, who prefers to remain anonymous.

Chinese health authorities have also kept close contact with their US counterpart, and the two sides have shared information on the outbreak and its prevention and control measures. Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US CDC have been in good technical cooperation, the official said.

In a telephone exchange between Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission, and Alex Azar, US secretary of Health and Human services, on Monday night, Azar applauded China's transparency in fighting the outbreak and the bilateral health cooperation. China welcomes the US to join the WHO expert mission to visit China, the commission said.