BANGKOK, Jan. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- China is reinforcing surveillance and related efforts to contain the spread of bird flu and ready tocooperate with other countries to address the current crisis, Chinese Vice Agriculture Minister Qi Jingfa said here on Wednesday.

    Departments of China's State Council and local governments have adopted a series of measures to curb the further spread of the fowl disease since a national lab on Tuesday confirmed bird flu breakout in the southeastern province of Guangxi, said Qi at an regional ministerial meeting on the current poultry disease situation held here on Wednesday.

    "We are now closely watching the development of the disease, studying on origin of the disease and banning export and import ofpoultry products from all regions affected by the epidemic," said Qi.

    The local government of Guangxi has quarantined certain areas and culled altogether 140,000 poultry in 3-kilometer radius as early as January 23, when the duck suspected of being affected wassent to the lab, he said.

    The Agriculture Ministry has made a national plan to prevent the disease and briefed the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization of the situation, he added. Enditem