(Yicai Global) Feb. 10 -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is in talks with the Chinese government to boost the country's emergency public health infrastructure, the lender said on its website today.

AIIB stands ready to back China through public health infrastructure loans to meet the country's direct and longer-term public health needs, the Beijing-based financial institution said, but without elaborating.

"Public health infrastructures contribute directly to final global public goods for health provision and indirectly," The World Health Organization said. "Further investment from multilateral partners, such as AIIB, can help strengthen China's public health infrastructure, which can have a lasting and global health impact."

"People from over 50 nations work at AIIB and we have all made China our home. With the full impacts of this epidemic still unknown, we want to do our part as residents of China to help stop its spread," said AIIB President Jin Liqun.

"In line with AIIB's mission, we will also work with the Government of China to identify effective public health infrastructure investments that will prevent the rapid spread of future outbreaks," Jin added.

To give back to the community where AIIB staff live and work, the bank is also matching staff donations to purchase medical equipment to help China control the spread of the epidemic.

"We look forward to working with other multilateral development banks, private partners and other funders who wish to join hands in bolstering China and other members' ability to respond to and deal with epidemics and other public health emergencies. These types of investments will not only improve the health of Chinese citizens but can have a global impact in terms of prevention and education," Jin noted.

Editor: Ben Armour