UNITED NATIONS - United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General Fabrizio Hochschild on Thursday expressed his appreciation for China's efforts to fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"I'd like to express my deepest solidarity with the people of China, confronted with this public health challenge," Hochschild said. "We deeply appreciate the efforts of all the authorities, of people in China and elsewhere to combat this virus."

"As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the UN, this is yet another illustration of the importance of international cooperation," said Hochschild, who is overseeing the world body's 75th celebrations slated for 2020.

"Few problems are the problems of countries alone. We need international solidarity. We're all in this together. And when we work together, we can beat and overcome these challenges," he added.

The official concluded his remarks by speaking in Chinese: "Zhongguo Jiayou! Wuhan Jiayou!" -- an expression to keep Chinese people's strength up.