"I can say that up to now, we have not received any information from Moscow about a ban on flights,'' a Russian embassy spokesman told China Daily.

But the Russian Civil Aviation Authority has sent a telegram to all airlines which fly to China, including its Hong Kong and Taiwan, telling them to stop selling tickets for flights to China and to prepare for a complete air link ban, according to the Interfax news agency.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said on Thursday Russia will take "additional measures'' against SARS.

A cabinet meeting has ordered a temporary reduction in the number of border checkpoints and the provisional closing of all checkpoints where thorough medical control is impossible, Interfax reported.

Echoing the embassy's response, a staff member at Aeroflot's Beijing office denied that flights between the Chinese capital and Moscow were suspended, saying they did not receive any information about the matter from headquarters, so passengers can still book tickets.

The flow of cargo between the two countries has not been declining dramatically, but business exchanges have been influenced by the fear over SARS, according to some international freight forwarders in China.

"Our railway cargo transportation is working as usual, but transporting by road has been suspended,'' said Chen Zhi, assistant manager at the Alashankou Port office of Sinotrans Group Co.

Chen, who is stationed at the Chinese-Kazakhstan border, said it is too early to evaluate the losses being caused by the disease.

Chen's colleagues at the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region branch said due to the Internet, their business will not be severely influenced, noting that SARS will not prevent them finding new business opportunities and dealing with old partners via the Internet.

More than 100 countries have taken measures to restrict people arriving from China due to the disease.

Malaysia decided on Friday to impose visa requirements on visitors from China.

"For the Chinese, a visa can be issued on condition that the applicant submits a medical report from a doctor valid for seven days to confirm that he is free of SARS symptoms or infection,'' a government statement said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also confirmed that some local border ports have been closed.

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said, according to international practice, a country may temporarily close borders or postpone their opening in epidemic or catastrophic circumstances.

Some seasonal ports between China and Mongolia have been temporarily closed and the opening of the Khunjirap port between China and Pakistan has been postponed, Zhang said.

Some restrictive measures have been put on passenger and cargo flow between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, she said, noting similar measures have also been taken to restrict passage between China and Kazakhstan.

(China Daily May 10, 2003)