China's efforts to prevent and treat the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic are increasingly standardized and carried out in an orderly way, and significant achievements have been made, said a Chinese vice minister of health in Beijing Tuesday.

Gao Qiang, executive vice health minister, made the remarks at the opening of a high-level anti-SARS symposium of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Gao shared China's anti-SARS measures with the participants: intensifying the organizational efforts of SARS prevention and treatment, integrating SARS prevention and control into the legal system, making every effort to conduct medical treatment and intensifying scientific study efforts.

But China is fully aware that the fight against SARS in the country has far from been over, Gao said, adding that the SARS epidemic situation has just been relieved and there are still unstable elements to be eliminated.

China still have major tasks to prevent potential relapses and spread, Gao said. "We must maintain sharp vigilance and continue the prevention and treatment initiatives unremittingly."

"We shall not relax until the complete success of the fight against SARS has achieved," Gao said.

At the beginning of the newly-emerged SARS outbreak in China, Gao said, the country's emergency alert and response system did not work appropriately, the emergency preparation was inadequate and information did not flow smoothly.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2003)