Chinese Vice Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi Saturday shared China's experience on fight against SARS with ministers in charge of public health from the Asia Pacific region, affirming the importance of international cooperation in containing the disease.

Thailand's Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai (L) shows an APEC travel card, which was being presented to dignitaries, to Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (R) and China's Vice-Premier and health minister Wu Yi (C) before the start of the APEC Health Minister's Meeting on SARS June 28, 2003 in Bangkok. [Reuters]

China has taken immediate and decisive measures to contain the spread of SARS, although the country was "in an awkward position" in the early days of the outbreak, Wu said in her speech at the opening ceremony of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Health Ministers' Meeting held in Bangkok on Saturday.

She noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 24 lifted the travel advisory against Beijing, the last Chinese mainland city on its China list, and removed the city from the list of areas with recent local transmission.

The vice premier summarized China's success on the combat against SARS as a result of taking the following measures:

-- taking the infectious disease seriously and giving full play to the leading role of government,

-- acting in accordance with law and improving the relevant legal system,

-- mobilizing the general public and communities,

-- relying on science and accelerating research and development

-- sharing information with other countries and carrying out international cooperation.

Wu admitted that the epidemic has adversely affected the development of some regions and sectors in China, but she stressed that "the fundamentals that drive China's economic growth remain intact and are functioning effectively."

"On the whole, China's economy has maintained a sound momentum of growth," said Wu.

China's GDP growth rate for the first half of the year is estimated to reach 8 percent, while the government has "both confidence and capability to meet the target of 7 percent annual GDP growth set at the beginning of this year," Wu said in her speech.

She affirmed the important role played by international mechanism including APEC, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and organizations such as the WHO in the global fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which has infected more than 8,000 people and claimed 809 lives.

Wu said China will make its due contribution in the global fight against SARS and is committed to working closely with other APEC economies and making relentless efforts to defeat the disease and promote stronger economic growth in the region.

Wu arrived in Bangkok on Friday at the invitation of the Thai government to participate in the opening ceremony of the APEC Health Ministers' Meeting on SARS, which is the first of its kind in the APEC history.

APEC senior officials gathered on Friday in Bangkok for a special meeting to discuss ways to revive regional confidence, so as to minimize the killer disease's negative influence on economy and to improve cooperation among members to establish a mechanism to prevent future breakout and spread of epidemic diseases including SARS.

The senior officials meeting agreed to submit short and long term action plans against SARS to the health ministers meeting.

The plans aimed to facilitate measures to protect against possible outbreaks of similar epidemics in the future while ensuring the flow of trade and investment.

The regional economic growth rate will fall down by 0.3 per cent to 0.5 per cent due to the influence of SARS, according to a report delivered by the APEC Secretariat on the senior officials' meeting.

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