KATHMANDU, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali on Monday applauded the efforts by the Chinese government and Chinese people in containing the spread of the COVID-19.

Talking to Xinhua at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu, the foreign minister expressed his confidence in China to win the fight against the epidemic soon.

"If China hadn't taken those strengthened measures to combat virus, the situation would have been more dreadful till now," the minister said, adding every country in the world should learn from China in fighting such outbreaks.

"Epidemic cannot be predicted, China too hadn't imagined such outbreak in Wuhan. But the way it constructed hospitals in a short period and managed everything, it's really appreciable," Gyawali said.

He said that Nepal has been safe till now as it has adopted prevention measures as part of preparation, and will strengthen the measures gradually.

Nepal had recorded one case of COVID-19 at the end of January, involving a male student who had returned from China. But he was already discharged from hospital after full recovery, he said.

He said necessary measures have been adopted by the Nepali government in airport, border points and in hospitals, with at least 100 beds preserved in isolation wards in different private and public hospitals.

"Crisis can be an opportunity to enhance domestic labor, production and capacity," the minister said, adding that the government has encouraged the production of pharmaceutical materials and medical supplies like masks and sanitizers.

He said the devastating earthquake of 2015 has made Nepal more resilient in face of emergency, and his country is highly alert to encounter the epidemic.