China will not suspend civil flights: Foreign Ministry

China will not suspend its civil flights, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday, adding that the concern is "baseless" that China might further restrict travel and make it harder for foreigners to leave the country through commercial flights.

Security, health and living standards for foreigners in China are guaranteed, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China has taken effective measures to minimize the risks of the novel coronavirus transmission through flights, Hua said.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the security and health of all people in China, Chinese and foreigners alike, and has taken the strictest and most comprehensive preventive measures, Hua said, adding that countries should view reasonably China's efforts and avoid overreaction.

The measures China has taken is yielding positive results, and China is dissatisfied by and opposed to some countries' decision to suspend flights to and from China, as it runs counter to advice by the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, Hua said.

"We ... have lodged stern representations to those countries," she said.

Suspending flights not only is unhelpful for containing the epidemic, but has created fear and disrupted normal international exchanges and cooperation, as well as the international aviation market, she added, urging the countries to immediately cancel such policies.

On Tuesday, the ICAO warned that exceeding the WHO's recommendations without having conducted an appropriate risk assessment could lead to unnecessary and negative impacts. The WHO has said it doesn't recommend travel or trade restrictions against China.

As of Thursday noon, 19 foreigners in China have been confirmed with novel coronavirus pneumonia, with two discharged, while the rest are being treated in isolation, according to Hua.

China also will continue to do all it can to bring home its citizens stranded abroad, she said.