Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, hailed China's success in fighting SARS Monday, saying that the victory further indicated the eminent superiority of socialism and made the people of all ethnicities in the country more confident in taking the socialist road with Chinese characteristics.

While achieving a major victory in the anti-SARS campaign, China had maintained relatively rapid economic growth, said Hu, also state president, attributing the achievements to the staunch leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the correct guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important theory of "Three Represents", and the united efforts of the Party and the people.

Hu made these remarks at a national working conference on the issue of SARS prevention and control, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, who also addressed the meeting.

Also present at the meeting were other members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan.

In his speech, Hu recalled the arduous course China had experienced in the fight against the disease. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, he extended cordial and lofty greetings to the country's medical workers, scientists and all those who had devoted themselves to the anti-SARS campaign.

Hu also expressed his heart-felt thanks to the overseas Chinese and Chinese nationals residing in other countries, as well as foreign countries, institutions and individuals who had contributed vocal or material support to China's anti-SARS drive.

"At this moment, we want to extend our condolences to the martyrs who laid down their lives in this battle as well as those compatriots who have been deprived of their lives by SARS," he noted.

Hu went on to sum up the experience China had accumulated and obtained in the fight against SARS and emphasized that the leadership of the Party was the key factor for the country to promote its undertakings and overcome difficulties. He called for further strengthening and improving Party leadership and firmly safeguarding the solidarity and unity of the Party.

Meanwhile, Hu acknowledged that numerous problems had been exposed through the anti-SARS campaign, such as the lack of coordination between the country's economic and social development and between urban and rural development; the backwardness of public health facilities and flaws in the public health system; and the inadequacy of the emergency treatment mechanism. He expressed his hope that the campaign could be an important opportunity to improve the work of the government.

Premier Wen Jiabao told the meeting that China would strive to establish a mechanism to handle public emergencies, a disease control system, and a system to supervise the implementation of laws in the field of public health in a period of around three years.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2003)