After hearing reports of medical experts on disease prevention and control, Wen said the government always gave top priority to public health and safety and governments at all levels should pay much attention to preventing and treating the disease.

"The central government has paid great attention to the SARS epidemic and has taken a series of prevention and control measures which have achieved obvious progress," Wen said as he inspected the centre.

Wen asked governments at various levels to give top priority to preventing and controlling the deadly disease.

As a member nation, China has maintained close links with the World Health Organization (WHO), and from April 1 had been providing relevant information and data to the WHO and cooperating with WHO experts in studying atypical pneumonia, said Wen, adding that public health departments would publish regular disease bulletins and promote prevention methods across the country.

Deeply concerned about the spread of SARS in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Taiwan, the mainland was ready to carry out further cooperation with them on the prevention and treatment of the disease, Wen said.

China enjoyed steady economic growth, social and political stability and normal public order, said Wen, adding the disease was under effective control in the affected areas and had not been found in the most parts of China.

The Chinese government and people still welcomed visitors from around the world and would take all necessary measures to safeguard their health and safety, Wen said.

As of April 5, a total of 1,247 SARS cases, including 51 deaths, had been recorded in China. The numbers had increased by 57 infections and five deaths on the tally released by Health Minister Zhang Wenkang on April 3.

In Beijing, two foreigners have contracted the disease - the first such infections among non-Chinese nationals in the country since the outbreak began last November in South China's Guangdong Province, Guo Jiyong, deputy director of Beijing Health Bureau, told a press conference jointly held by his bureau and the Ministry of Health.

A total of 934 atypical pneumonia patients - of the 1190 reported on April 3 - have recovered, health authorities say.

Most of the newly reported victims of SARS are from Guangdong, said Qi Xiaoqiu, director of the Disease Control Department of the Ministry of Health, at the press conference.

Beijing has recorded 19 cases, including four patients who have died of the disease, Guo Jiyong said.

Pekka Aro, director of the International Labour Organi-zation's InFocus Programme on Skills, Knowledge and Employability, died of SARS in Beijing's Ditan Hospital early Sunday.

A Canadian is also being treated for atypical pneumonia in Beijing. But officials have not said anything more about the Canadian.

Every possible effort was made to treat Aro, a 53-year-old Finlander, said Liu Peilong, director of the Department of International Co-operation with the Ministry of Health.

Aro left Geneva on March 17 and stayed in Bangkok in Thailand between March 18 and 23. He arrived in Beijing on March 23 on a Thai Airways international flight to prepare for a forum on employment.

He came down with a fever and a dry cough on March 28, and immediately went to see doctors at an international medical centre in Beijing.

On April 3, he was diagnosed as a SARS patient by a special medical group including top experts in the disease.

Aro's infection came from outside of Beijing, said Guo Jiyong of Beijing Health Bureau.

Guo said that Aro believed he caught the disease during his international flight.

No one who was in contact with Aro after his arrival in Beijing has been found to be infected with SARS, Guo said.

Beijing health authorities have also been following up those who were on the same flight with and in contact with Aro in Beijing and monitoring their health to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2003)