China will remain vigilant with respect to SARS and will implement necessary
control measures despite the effective containment of the epidemic, Chinese Vice
Premier Wu Yi pledged Tuesday.
"We will remain on high alert and continue to implement all preventive and
control measures," Wu promised Shigeru Omi, the World Health Organization
regional director for the Western Pacific.
Omi, who is in Beijing for a one-day visit at the invitation of China's
Ministry of Health, announced Tuesday afternoon that the WHO has removed the
Chinese capital from its list of areas with recent local transmission and lifted
the travel advisory imposed on the city two months ago.
China plans to adjust the measures which were taken during the state of
emergency to suit a sustainable policy which will respond to the evolving
situation, said Wu, who is also the country's health minister, during a meeting
with Omi.
The State Council, China's cabinet, will soon dispatch supervisory teams to
all 31 provinces to evaluate the level of preparedness of local governments for
potential future epidemics, she said. "We will spare no effort to prevent the
return of SARS."
She promised that the government will give high priority to reinforcing the
public health sector and the disease prevention and control system, in addition
to improving the mechanism for response to public health emergencies.
Wu and Omi agreed that the above-mentioned plans will constitute part of a
long-term program of collaboration between China and the WHO, which will also
include the improvement of the health care system in China's vast rural areas.
Meanwhile, the vice premier asked the UN health agency to remain vigilant
with regard to attempts by the Taiwan authority to pursue its political aim of
acquiring WHO membership by taking advantage of technical issues.
"We have always been concerned about the SARS situation in Taiwan and have
maintained an effective communication channel with Taiwan. We'll continue to
promote cross-strait cooperation on health issues," Wu said. "But we won't allow
Taiwan to achieve its political objectives through technical tactics."