China Protects Safety of People from Overseas

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 20, 2003

China Protects Safety of People from Overseas

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China is taking further measures to contain the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and to protect the safety of foreigners and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, a senior health ministry official said Sunday.

Gao Qiang, executive vice-minister of health, told a press conference that China would not accept claims that it was the safest place in the world or it was a very dangerous place to come at present as there was SARS.

It was quite necessary to maintain normal international exchanges since China has been strengthening the prevention and control of the disease, Gao said.

"We would not accept the claim that China is the safest place of the world and people will not be infected if they come to this place," said Gao. "But we also oppose the claim that China is a dangerous place and people coming here will surely be infected."

Although it is not yet possible to have the accurate figure of foreigners, and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in Beijing, only five SARS cases were found among them, including a Canadian national who had been discharged from hospital, and two from Taiwan who would soon be discharged, Gao said.

According to the Beijing Municipal Health Administration, a series of measures have been taken in Beijing to prevent and control the disease for the benefit of the people from overseas. The measures include popularizing knowledge of SARS and ways to prevent it, formulating detailed emergency plans, opening a 24-hour English service hotline, and designating two hospitals for foreigners.

Foreign tourists and foreigners living in Beijing are given English-version brochures about SARS and cards bearing the names of the designated hospitals and related consulting services.

Public places where foreigners often visit and public transportation vehicles have all been disinfected thoroughly.

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