Foreign investors in China made collective donations worth 18.92 million yuan here Wednesday to support the country in its fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Chinese health officials said.
A total of 17 major foreign ventures, including Hitachi, Fuji Film, Volkswagen, Epson and Nestle, donated 5.12 million yuan in funds and 13.8 million yuan worth of materials.
Ernst H. Behrens, head of the Executive Committee of Foreign Investment Companies (ECFIC), which organized the activity, said foreign investors in China were fully confident that the Chinese government would lead the Chinese people to ultimate victory in the fight against SARS.
She Jing, vice health minister, promised that these funds and materials would be used in the frontline against SARS.
Vice Commerce Minister Ma Xiuhong, who attended the donation ceremony, said that the Chinese government will exert all efforts to win the ultimate victory in combating the SARS epidemic.
Ma said the Chinese government will create more favorable and safe investment environments for foreign investors.
Prior to this, other ECFIC members had donated a total of 56.47million yuan worth of materials through other channels.
(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2003)
