MADRID - The real enemy is not the Chinese people but the novel coronavirus, said Yao Fei, the minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Spain, at a press conference held here on Tuesday.

The conference was called to help spread a message of calm over the virus, which has so far claimed over 400 lives after having been reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Fears of the outbreak have led to a rise in discrimination against some people of Chinese origin in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, Yao said.

"The enemy is the virus, not the Chinese," he said, adding that both China and its nationals were working tirelessly to contain the spread of the epidemic, which has infected more than 20,000 people.

"All Chinese people in China and out are working together in this historic struggle that we have against the coronavirus," he said.

The number of people who have recovered from the virus now exceeds that of fatalities, he said, adding that the Chinese government has been working with complete "transparency."

"We have the determination, the confidence and the capacity to win the battle against the coronavirus," he stressed, thanking Spain and other countries for their "significant, enormous and valuable support to China, which is something we value greatly."