At the invitation of Prime Minister Thaksin of Thailand, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council will attend the special meeting on SARS of the leaders of China and ASEAN in Bangkok, Thailand on April 29th.

At present, the issue of SARS constitutes the common threat and challenge facing various countries in the region. Enhancing regional exchanges and cooperation is one of the effective measures against SARS and other multinational issues. The Chinese government attaches great importance to this meeting. We hope to enhance communication, strengthen exchange, carry out cooperation, jointly prevent, control and eradicate the threat of SARS with the ASEAN countries, so that the friendly relations and cooperation between the two sides will make further headway.