US President Donald Trump said he was working with China to help contain the new strain of virus spreading across Asia and other parts of the world.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his commitment to containing the outbreak.

"He is working very hard. He is very capable. The country is very capable. And it snuck up on him, but I think he's going to do well", Trump said.

He also said he had spoken to officials from South Korea and Italy, which have both seen outbreaks of coronavirus.

China has recorded 2,715 deaths from the virus, and 78,064 confirmed cases on the mainland since the illness emerged in December.

Trump comments came on the second day of a two-day official visit to India.