Vice Premier Hui
Liangyu, addressing opening ceremony of the Ministerial
Conference for Asian Cooperation on Highly Pathogenic Avian
Influenza Control yesterday, called on Asian countries and
international organizations to strengthen cooperation in the fight
against the disease.
"It is not only an urgent task for all regional governments, but
also a common obligation for the international community to protect
the healthy growth of the poultry industry and the public health
security," he said, adding that bird flu's spread has exceeded
national and regional boundaries.
He said Asian countries and regions should strengthen
cooperation with international and regional organizations to
protect the environment so as to do a better job in fighting bird
flu.
Minister of Agriculture Du Qinglin, who chaired the opening
ceremony in Kunming, capital of the southwestern province of
Yunnan, said the conference would play a "positive" role in helping
shape a regional anti-bird flu mechanism to jointly combat the
threat.?
A joint Kunming Initiative was released at the end of the event,
which was sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and attended by
over 100 delegates from 16 countries and six international
organizations.
Experts at the conference said China's research on a bird flu
vaccine that can be used on chickens and water fowl is now the most
advanced in the world, and has been proved effective after its use
in Southeast Asia.
(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2005)