WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus looks on during a press conference at the World Health Organization's headquarters in Geneva, on Dec 14, 2022. (FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

BEIJING - The chief of the World Health Organization spoke highly of the Chinese government's efforts to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic in his phone conversation with a senior Chinese health official.

According to the National Health Commission, its director Ma Xiaowei exchanged views on China's current COVID response with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed appreciation of China's efforts to maintain long-term technical exchanges and share epidemic information and data with the WHO

Ma said China has been sharing COVID information with the WHO and other countries since the onset of the epidemic. China was the first to identify the pathogen and publicize key information including the genome sequencing of the virus. China also set up a technical exchange mechanism with the WHO.

Since China optimized its COVID response, the two sides have conducted many technical exchanges. China will continue to support the role of the WHO in pooling international efforts to fight the virus, Ma said.

The WHO chief expressed appreciation of China's efforts to maintain long-term technical exchanges and share epidemic information and data with the WHO.

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The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen technical exchanges and cooperation on epidemic prevention and control, and jointly maintain global health security.