Officials in charge of Taiwan affairs on Monday inspected some Beijing-based Taiwanese enterprises to assess the status of their SARS prevention, urging Taiwan Affairs Offices at all levels to step up SARS prevention work and protect the health of Taiwanese in Beijing.

During the inspection, Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and Li Bingcai, executive vice-president of the Mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, conveyed their greetings to Taiwanese staff members.

Chen said since the happening of the epidemic, relevant departments on the Chinese mainland have, via a variety of means, informed departments concerned in Taiwan of the SARS prevention and treatment on the mainland.

He said he hopes that medical staff of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits could enhance the SARS information communication and widen cooperation in preventing the disease.

A forum on SARS prevention attended by medical exports from both the two sides of Taiwan Straits is expected to be held from April 23-24, according to Chen.

According to sources from Taiwan Affair Offices at various levels, to date, only very few Taiwan compatriots have been infected by SARS in Beijing and Guangdong and they are given special treatment now.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2003)