The fifth ASEM (Asian-Europe Meeting) Economic Ministers' Meeting opens Tuesday in Dalian, a major port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The three-day meeting is the largest and most important international conference held in China since severe acute respiratory syndrome broke out.

Wang Youwei, deputy director of the organizing committee, said: "We will provide state-of-the-art technical support in the areas of counter-terrorism, SARS prevention and food safety during the meeting."

The organizing committee has been working since the beginning of April to ensure the meeting will be a success. The preparatory work has been completed in terms of security, medical services, publicity and logistics, he said.

Committee sources said that SARS prevention has been one of the committee's most important tasks. Precautionary measures have been taken to ensure the health of all delegates, including the regular disinfection of vehicles and conference facilities, daily physical examinations of staff at the conference centre and hotels, and emergency medical aid.

More than 10,000 police officers have been mobilized to guarantee the safety of all delegates and journalists.

The economic ministers' meeting will focus on the global economic situation, economic and trade co-operation between Asia and Europe, and the World Trade Organization.

The delegates will evaluate the state of the Asian and European economies, propose measures to deal with the challenges presented by the global economic situation, and seek ways to restore confidence in global economic growth.

They will also discuss the integration of regional economies, including the establishment of free-trade zones, as well as the influence of the eastward expansion of the European Union, and free and convenient trade and investment in Asia and Europe.

(China Daily July 22, 2003)