The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is a disaster facing mankind and China is its chief victim, said Gao Qiang, executive vice-minister of health.

"We have paid a high price for the epidemic, but we also learned a lot and have achieved great progress,'' he said.

Gao made the remarks at the opening of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), China, Japan and the Republic of Korea High- Level Symposium on SARS yesterday in Beijing.

More than 100 health officials and experts convened at the symposium to exchange information and seek more regional and international co-operation in containing SARS.

The meeting was a follow-up to the joint declaration proclaimed at the Special China-ASEAN Leaders Meeting on SARS on April 29 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Chinese Vice-Premier and Minister of Health Wu Yi attended the opening ceremony, and met the delegates beforehand.

The Chinese mainland confirmed that three people had contracted SARS among those suspected of having the disease in the 24 hours to 10 am Tuesday.

And for the first time the nation did not report any deaths from the disease.

Two of the three cases were in Beijing with the other in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

A total of 5,329 SARS cases including 334 deaths had been reported on the Chinese mainland by Tuesday.

There are 929 people suspected of having the disease and 1,437 confirmed SARS patients receiving medical treatment in hospital, according to the Ministry of Health.

Gao said the first SARS outbreak was recorded in South China's Guangdong Province at the beginning of this year. China made public the SARS situation in Guangdong on February 11 -- before other countries and regions reported any SARS cases.

But a limited understanding of the new contagious disease meant "the measures we adopted then were not strong enough and SARS began to spread in Beijing, North China's Shanxi Province, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and some other places," Gao said.

The Chinese Government has earnestly drawn lessons from past experience and adopted more effective measures to prevent, control and treat the epidemic, said Gao.

The SARS situation in China has improved and the rise in SARS cases has declined, Gao said.

In mid-April, 154 probable cases were added on a daily basis but the figure slipped to an average of 151 in the first 10 days of May. In the second and third 10-day periods of May, the figure dropped to 45 and 12 respectively.

Gao briefed delegates on China's experience as the following five points:

** Motivating and organizing all forces under a strong command system to form the social basis for the successful control of SARS.

** Resorting to law for concerted action and ensuring that obligations are fulfilled in handling the infectious disease.

** Relying on science and technology, the most powerful weapon to control and eliminate SARS.

** Depending on the broad masses of the people.

** Increasing international co-operation.

China still has major tasks to prevent the disease from rebounding and spreading once more, Gao said.

"We must maintain vigilance and continue our prevention and treatment initiatives unremittingly.''

Gao said SARS does not respect state boundaries and to conquer it needs the joint efforts of all mankind.

Close co-operation among countries to find solutions is the most effective way of conquering the epidemic, which is in the interest of all countries and Asian countries in particular, he said.

Citing the 1997 financial crisis in Southeast Asia as an example, Gao said SARS is another challenge facing China, ASEAN members and other Asian countries.

"The Chinese Government is responsible not only to the Chinese people but also to the international community. We are ready to take our responsibility, fulfill our obligations and play a constructive role.''

The theme of the two-day symposium is to exchange information and experience in SARS prevention and treatment, particularly on issues like epidemiologic investigation, clinical treatment, diagnostic reagents and medicine research to facilitate more international co-operation.

(People's Daily June 4, 2003)