Sri Lanka praises the swift action and effective measures taken by China to prevent and control the novel coronavirus outbreak, and appreciates its commitment to ensuring the safety of foreign nationals, a senior diplomat said.

"China is a longstanding friend of Sri Lanka, therefore, we stand in solidarity with the people and the government of China at this hour of difficulty", said K K Yoganaadan, acting ambassador of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in China.

The pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus has become an international concern, as the virus has spread to several other Asian nations and reached Australia, the United States and Europe, as well.

By the late Monday, the novel coronavirus outbreak had seen 20,438 confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland, including 425 deaths, according to the National Health Commission.

The World Health Organization declared the pneumonia outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday, and at the same time, the WHO has expressed their confidence in the efforts taken by the Chinese government to manage the situation.

The statement by the WHO is a professional, unbiased reflection of the actual situation while highlighting the need for member countries to be vigilant, Yoganaadan said.

Noting the situation is quite alarming, Yoganaadan said he is impressed by measures taken by China to disseminate information, provide medical supplies, deploy additional medical personnel, and build new medical infrastructure to treat those infected and control the spread of the virus.

The commitment shown by the Chinese government to ensure the supply of food and medicine to foreign nationals and offer discounted airfare to facilitate their exit from China and return to their home countries is highly appreciated, he said.