Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (C)
attends a symposium together with experts on prevention and control of
A/H1N1 Flu at the Ministry of Health in Beijing, May 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao
Aimin) Photo
Gallery>>>
By Xinhua writers Lv Chuanzhong, Li Baojie
BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice-Premier Li
Keqiang on Monday vowed to keep the worsening global epidemic of influenza
A/H1N1 out of China's border, while the same day the government sent a chartered
plane to Mexico to pick up around 200 stranded Chinese nationals.
"The most important work at present was to strictly
check on border entry" as the killer disease has been mainly reported overseas,
Li gave the direction during a visit to the Ministry of Health.
China could not rule out the possibility of the
virus' spreading into its border although no confirmed case had been reported
yet on its mainland, Li warned.
"We must be fully prepared and strive for the best
outcome through orderly and effective work," he said. He ordered government
bodies to step up technical equipment and material storage, arrange designated
hospitals and be well prepared for emergencies.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (2nd R)
arrives to attend a symposium together with experts on prevention and
control of A/H1N1 Flu at the Ministry of Health in Beijing, May 4, 2009.
(Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo Gallery>>>
Information transparency was of key importance to the
scientific epidemic prevention and control, he said, calling for further
improvement in information publicity.
"Infections within our border must be immediately
publicized, and the prevention and control work must be transparent," he said.
CHARTERED FLIGHT
In light of the plight of around 200 Chinese citizens
still stranded in Mexico, center of the flu outbreak, the government sent a
chartered flight late Monday to pick them up.
The plane left Guangzhou for Mexico City and Tijuana
at 10 p.m. and is expected to return to Shanghai at 9 a.m. Wednesday, China
Southern Airlines said.
The 17-strong crew have been trained on precautions
against the flu and dealing with any health emergencies.
A quarantine expert from the Ministry of Health and
doctors from the airline would closely monitor the health conditions of the
passengers.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (R,
front) shakes hands with an expert on prevention and control of A/H1N1 Flu
prior to a symposium at the Ministry of Health in Beijing, May 4, 2009.
(Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo Gallery>>>
If any passengers developed symptoms like fever, all
the passengers and flight crew would probably be quarantined after returning to
China, sources with the airline told Xinhua.
China suspended flights from Mexico to Shanghai
starting Saturday after a 25-year-old Mexican man, who arrived in Shanghai
Thursday aboard flight Aeromexico 098, was later diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1
in Hong Kong.
The Mexican became Hong Kong's first confirmed case
of influenza A/H1N1 infection Friday. It was also the first such casein Asia.
China Monday cancelled a chartered flight to Mexico
to pick up 120 or so stranded passengers. The airline said another 80 Chinese
citizens have requested to take the expected chartered flight back to the
country.
NO DISCRIMINATION, CHINA
SAYS
Monday's take-off of Chinese plane has been a result
of a bilateral agreement between the governments, which allows both to send
chartered flights to each other's country to lift their stranded nationals.
The agreement was reached even after diplomatic
disputes whether China has taken discriminatory measures against Mexican
citizens.
Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Cantellano
has complained China's quarantine of some Mexican citizens with no symptoms of
the virus was discriminatory and short of scientific evidence. He also reminded
Mexican citizens not to travel to China until it corrected the discriminatory
measures.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said on Monday
that the country's medical quarantine of some passengers who had traveled on the
same flight with the Mexican man who was infected with influenza A/H1N1 as
necessary.
"The measures concerned are not targeted at Mexican
citizens and there is no discrimination," he said in a press release. "This is
purely a medical quarantine issue."
Ma said China hoped Mexico would be understanding of
the measures adopted by China and handle this matter objectively and calmly
given the overall situation of jointly addressing the epidemic.
He also said China and Mexico are friendly countries
and China attaches great importance to diplomatic relations with Mexico.
"China is willing to enhance cooperation with Mexico
and make joint efforts to combat the epidemic situation," said Ma.
All the 176 passengers and 13 crew aboard have been
located and those who remained in China have been quarantined, including
Mexicans.
MORE INSPECTION TEAMS
In another move to contain the epidemic, the
government has stepped up checks on people entering the country by sending
another six supervision teams to major provinces to prevent influenza A/H1N1
from spreading to the country, the top quality supervisor said Monday.
These teams went to provinces of Shandong, Hebei,
Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei and Shaanxi and would work together
with local authorities, according to the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ).
GAQSIQ required all people entering China by air,
land and sea to fill in personal health statement cards to strength control
efforts.
The 6 teams were in addition to the previous 5 teams
going to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou on April 25.
Also on Monday, the Ministry of Health said it had
listed A/H1N1 under the category of infectious diseases that warranted
quarantine, and would quarantine people and material crossing China's borders
that were suspected of transmitting the virus.
