Beijing -- China had vaccinated 4.88 billion domestic fowls by the end of June this year in a bid to prevent and control the spread of bird flu diseases, said a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday.

Li Jinxiang, deputy director of the veterinary bureau under the ministry, told a press conference that China's efforts on prevention and control of the disease have been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health.

The ministry has informed the world of each outbreak of bird flu in China and measures that have been taken to handle the cases based on the principles of "timely reporting and transparency," said Li.

He noted that the ministry has "actively" promoted global and regional cooperation on the prevention and control of bird flu disease and established good cooperative ties with the WHO, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank.

China has also offered technical aid to neighboring countries like Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia and Indonesia in fighting the disease.

He admitted that China still faces great challenges in vaccinating domestic fowls in remote mountainous areas, adding that the ministry would soon launch a fowl vaccination drive in the autumn.

China produces 14 billion fowls each year, the largest number in the world.