Chinese president confident of winning war against SARS
( 2003-05-28 16:14 ) (8)

Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao said here on Wednesday that his country is confident of winning the war against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) while maintaining the pace of economic development.

Delivering a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Hu said the Chinese government and people are making great efforts in fighting SARS and have achieved noticeable progress.

He said China has taken strict measures to prevent SARS from spreading in and out of China.

He added that China will continuously strengthen cooperation with the international community and contribute to the war of mankind against the disease.

Hu stressed that although SARS has made a certain negative impact on the development of some regions and industries in China, the momentum of the country's economic development however remains strong.

Hu expressed his confidence that China will overcome the temporary difficulties and win the war against SARS while maintaining the pace of economic development and continuing to contribute to the promotion of regional and global economic growth.

On the Sino-Russian relations, Hu recalled that during China's protracted Liberation War in the 1940s and the economic development in the early days of the People's Republic of China, the Russian people provided the Chinese people with support and aid in many ways. And the Chinese people will never forget this.

As regards to the present situation in China, Hu said the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held last November set the goal of China's development for the new phase in the new century. China's 10th National People's Congress held in March further worked out the plan for the country's future development.

The Chinese president said China, as a developing country, is facing many urgent and tough problems on its way of development. China's modernization is an arduous task and may take many years to achieve. Therefore, it requires long-term and strenuous efforts.

The development of China is of fundamental interests to the Chinese people and is also closely related to world peace and development, Hu said. The prosperity of China will contribute to regional and world peace, stability and development, he added.

The Chinese president arrived here on Monday for a three-day state visit to Russia.