The prevention and treatment of any infectious disease has become
the common responsibility of the whole world rather than a matter
particular for one country or region, and only through regional and
international cooperation can the disease be effectively controlled
and eliminated, said Vice Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi while
meeting with heads of delegations participating in the China-ASEAN
Entry-Exit Quarantine Meeting on SARS, which was held on June 1-2
in Beijing.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao tabled a series of proposals on
China-ASEAN cooperation against SARS while attending the
China-ASEAN Leaders' Special Meeting on SARS held in Bangkok in
late April. The Beijing meeting is a follow-up effort of China and
ASEAN to strengthen international cooperation in the anti-SARS
campaign.
Apart from China and the 10 ASEAN membersBrunei, Laos, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and
Viet Nam, the World Health Organization (WHO) and 11 other
countries such as Bangladesh, India, Japan and Russia were invited
to the meeting.
Health officials and experts discussed and passed the Entry-Exit
Quarantine Action Plan for Controlling the Spread of SARS by
Governments of the People's Republic of China and ASEAN. The Action
Plan is designed to protect the health of travelers, guarantee
normal international contacts, and reduce the adverse impact of
SARS on the region's economy.
The Chinese delegation briefed on the Chinese Government's measures
in the control of SARS with respect to entry-exit quarantine. ASEAN
representatives exchanged their experiences in entry-exit
quarantine management and unanimously agree that international
coordination and cooperation should further be enhanced to build a
security defense line at points of entry and exit.
Henk Bekedam, the WHO's representative in China, thanked China and
ASEAN for their efforts in the fight against SARS. He said China
and ASEAN have been in the frontline against SARS and greatly
helped the WHO curb its spread.
Li
Changjiang, head of the State General Administration for Quality
Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine, presided over the
meeting. He said China would continue cooperation and exchanges
with the WHO and other countries in an effort to effectively
control and eliminate SARS, a common enemy of the whole
humanity.
(Beijing Review June 13, 2003)
