A foreign correspondent asked: "As we know, many foreigners said they would like to help China contain the SARS epidemic. Could you tell us what drugs do you need the most? And what, according to your experience, are the most effective drugs among the many Chinese and Western medicine in the current market?"

Cai Fuchao, standing member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee and director of the publicity department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, said in reply that the international communities have been very concerned about the SARS epidemic in Beijing and the Beijing authorities are very grateful for this.

Beijing is actually cooperating with relative countries and international organizations, including the WHO, on the issue. As has been noticed, the top leaders of Beijing Municipality have had many contacts with WHO officials. Many beneficial research activities, discussions and other cooperative activities have happened between the two parties.

Fan Boyuan, vice mayor of Beijing, answered, in the process of fighting SARS, there has been

cooperation between all the members in international solidarity against SARS. More than 20 international science and technology organizations and specialists are cooperating with China: some of them came to Beijing in person and some of them send E-mail.

He said they are supporting China in three ways. The first, most urgent, where many specialists have offered diagnostic methods for SARS epidemiology. "I made an appointment with Dr. Richard B. Lipton, a professor with Columbia University on May 6th. He donated 10,000 boxes of ECL. His research achievements, on the therapeutic diagnosis in Beijing, have been of great help. Second, we shed light on medium-term and long-term cooperation. Along with many institutes, we have begun to analyze many virus specimens and researched the gene sequences to develop various vaccines and medicines according to the characteristics of the viruses now afflicting Beijing.?

"Moreover, we are jointly reviewing how to draw experiences and lessons from the breakout of SARS so as to build a better public health system in Beijing and the rest of China at a later date. Some initial research and discussion on cooperation is already underway,? Fan said.

Vice Mayor Fan Boyuan said, "I think what we need more is mutual understanding and support. An American preventive medicine expert told me that Beijing is unlucky to have the SARS breakout, just as the September 11 terror attack on New York, and expressed his understanding to us. He along with other several experts took the initiative to come and help Beijing against SARS even though their wives didn't want to see them come here and shed tears at the airports. After they arrived Beijing and phoned about the situation in Beijing, their wives felt more relieved. We attach high appreciation to such friendship forged in international scientific cooperation at such a tough time."

(China.org.cn May 9, 2003)