PHNOM PENH, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on Monday that he is confident that China will be able to bring the COVID-19 situation under control in the near future.

"Now, we all see the results in China, there have been remarkable declines in new cases and deaths, as more and more patients have recovered," he said in a press conference on preventive measures against COVID-19 here.

"I strongly believe that China will have the COVID-19 situation under control soon because she has taken all necessary and strict measures to contain the virus," the minister added.

Bunheng also expressed his appreciation to China for the timely and effective measures to combat the virus, saying that Cambodia hoped to learn this experience from China in the future.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said last week that the impact of COVID-19 on China's economy is temporary, and that the virus will not affect China's long-term socio-economic development goals.

"I think the coronavirus (COVID-19) will change neither China's long-term economic development goals nor the Belt and Road Initiative," he said in a news conference.

According to the Chinese health authority, a total of 44,462 patients of the COVID-19 on the Chinese mainland had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Sunday.

Sunday saw 2,837 people discharged from hospital after recovery, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

By the end of Sunday, a total of 80,026 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 had been reported on the Chinese mainland, and 2,912 people had died of the disease.