Trump tells Xi he has 'confidence' in China battling virus

US President Donald Trump expressed his "confidence" in China's ability to tackle the novel coronavirus epidemic during talks with his Beijing counterpart Xi Jinping, the White House said.

Trump "expressed confidence in China's strength and resilience in confronting the challenge of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak," the White House said in a statement.

"The two leaders agreed to continue extensive communication and cooperation between both sides," it said, following reports in Chinese state media that the two had spoken on the phone about the matter.

The statement also noted that the two leaders had discussed "the great achievement of the recent United States-China Phase One Trade Deal and reaffirmed their commitment to its implementation."