US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called on China for transparency over the current coronavirus pandemic situation in the Asian country during a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the US government said.

The conversation took place amid concerns over the lack of data coming out of China despite apparently facing a surge of infections since the government drastically eased its stringent "zero-COVID" policy earlier this month.

At a press conference held prior to the announcement of the phone call, Blinken said he is hoping to see China get the outbreak "under control," while offering to support Beijing in its efforts to contain the virus as the largest donor of COVID-19 vaccines.

To date, Beijing has not asked for such help, but the United States is "fully prepared to provide assistance to anyone who asks for it if they think it's useful," he added.

The two "discussed the current COVID-19 situation, and the secretary underscored the importance of transparency for the international community," the US State Department said in a press release.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement released after the talks did not mention the COVID-19 situation in the country, but Mao Ning, a ministry spokeswoman, suggested Friday that Beijing will not seek help from overseas, saying, "The overall situation of China's epidemic prevention and control measures is predictable and controllable."

"At present, the vaccination rate continues to increase, treatment capacity continues to grow, production capacity of medical supplies continues to expand, and the overall supply is sufficient," she said at a press conference in Beijing.

Mao also said China has always shared relevant information with the World Health Organization and the international community in a responsible manner and that Beijing will work with other countries to better respond to the challenges of the epidemic.

The exchanges between Blinken and Wang were in line with Washington's desire to maintain open lines of communication and "responsibly manage" the bilateral relationship despite tensions over issues including Taiwan, trade and technology.

During the talks, Wang warned the United States against engaging in a policy of "containment" with China while seeking dialogue, saying such behavior would constitute "unilateral bullying," according to the statement.

Wang said Beijing will "continue to resolutely defend its sovereignty, security and development interests" and urged Washington not to challenge China's "red line," in reference to Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island the mainland regards as its territory.

The minister also expressed hope for an improvement in bilateral ties, saying, "The new year should have a new atmosphere. The people of both countries and the world generally hope that Sino-US relations will stop deteriorating and recover."

Blinken is scheduled to visit China early next year. His trip was agreed upon during the November summit talks in Bali, Indonesia, between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The US secretary also raised his concerns about Russia's war against Ukraine, the department said, amid concerns about closer ties between Beijing and Moscow.

==Kyodo