Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the China-ASEAN leaders'
special meeting on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
scheduled for April 29 in Bangkok at the invitation of Thai Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, announced Foreign Ministry spokesman
Liu Jianchao at a press conference Thursday.
Liu said SARS has posed a common threat and challenge to all
nations in the region, and strengthening regional exchanges and
cooperation is one of the effective measures to deal with the
disease and other cross-nation issues.
The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the meeting and
hopes to further enhance communication, exchanges and cooperation
with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), make joint efforts with them for the prevention, treatment
and eradication of the epidemic, and promote the friendly relations
of cooperation between the two sides, the spokesman said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2003)