We, the Heads of State and Government of Brunei
Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of
Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic,
Malaysia, the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the
Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of
Thailand, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the
People’s Republic of China met in Bangkok, Thailand,
on 29 April 2003 for a Special ASEAN-China Leaders Meeting
on Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome(SARS):
Deeply concerned with the
mounting threat to life and health of the people in Asia and
the world at large due to SARS, we express our deepest
condolences and sympathy to those who are suffering from the
diseases or are threatened by the
pandemic;
Noting that SARS has already had a
serious adverse impact on the economy and society of
countries in the region, including international exchanges
and cooperation among our countries and this
region.
Recognising the need for collective
efforts in the region and the rest of the world to
effectively tackle the challenges posed by the deadly virus,
we agreed to promote the exchange of information and sharing
of experience in respect of SARS control and
prevention.
Emphasising that the importance of
strong leadership, political commitment, multi-sectoral
collaboration and partnership at the national and regional
levels to fight epidemic;
Noting with deep
respect the dfforts of all medical professionals and
researchers, quarantine officials and public awareness
campaigners in all countries and regions, who are working
courageously at the forefront of the battle against
SARS;
Noting further that in addressing such
non-traditional threats at SARS against the backdrop of
globalization, cooperation must draw upon and pool together
the best of human wisdom and capabilities in addressing the
disaster, and that ASEAN Member Countries and China can play
an important and positive role in strengthening such
cooperation.
We hereby agree that ASEAN and
China will develop and strengthen cooperation on SARS
control and take coordinated measures to reduce and
eliminate its multifaceted impact on our region, taking into
account the practical measures adopted by the ASEAN +3
Ministers of Health Special Meeting held on 26 April 2003 in
Kuala Lumpur.
We appreciate the valuable
opportunity to brief each other on the measures each country
has taken to prevent, monitor, study and treat SARS. China
associated itself with the Joint Declaration of the Special
ASEAN Leaders Meeting on SARS and expressed its readiness to
cooperate with ASEAN to fight the SARS
problem.
To this end, we directed our health
and other relevant ministers to undertake the
following:
- Exchange
information on the latest developments of SARS, including
its control and treatment, and its related study and
research, through linking China’s SARS information
network and the ASEAN SARS Containment Information Network,
based on unified rules, standards and
methods;
- Appoint a
focal/contact point in every country for the routine
exchange of information as part of a “hotline”
network to facilitate communication in an
emergency;
- Carry out
cooperative research and training programmes focusing on
SARS spread patterns, SARS pathology and the care and
treatment of severe SARS
cases;
- Jontly sponsor
organised a high-level international symposium on SARS
control and treatment in China as soon as
possible;
- Sponsor a
special symposium to assess the political, security,
economic and other possible impact of SARS on this regional
and come up with regional counter-measures to address the
impacts; and
- Work to take
rigorous measures for immigration and customs control to
prevent the out-spread of SARS, including for example,
pre-departure and arrival screening and better flight
management. A meeting will be held soon by officials form
immigration and health authorities for the above
purposes.
The Cinese side
has decided to pledge RMB 10 million yuan to launch a
special fund in support of China-ASEAN bilateral cooperation
programmes on SARS control and prevention and the
eradication of its multifarious impacts.
We
will strive to offset the negative impacts of SARS on our
respective economies and personnel exchanges, adopt
effective measures to stimulate economic development, expend
trade, encourage investment, and strengthen tourism
cooperation to maintain the mometum of economic growth. At
the same time, we will continue to consolidate and deepen
ASEAN-China economic cooperation.
We, the
leaders of ASEAN Member Countries and the People’s
Republic of China, hereby undertake to work in the spirit of
mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination and
to further deepen ASEAN-China partnership of good-bilateral
relations so that our bilateral exchange and cooperation may
grow in great depth and width.
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