China To Donate US$10 Mil For Global Flu Control
Bernama, 18 Jan 2006

BEIJING, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- The Chinese government has decided to offer US$10 million in the fight against avian influenza around the whole world, Xinhua reported Wednesday, quoting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

"The Chinese government will continue to provide assistance within our capacity to the neighboring countries and those needed," Wen said at the opening ceremony of a two-day international pledging conference on avian and human pandemic influenza.

He called for developed countries, international organizations such as the World Bank, and transnational companies to make greater contribution to raise funds to fight against bird flu.

"We expect countries to actively donate, and support to set up a financial framework on multilateral assistance on bird flu control during the on-going conference," Wen said.

 

He also urged the international community to provide "timely" and "sufficient" financial help to those developing countries severely affected by bird flu without additional requirements and based on respecting the sovereignty of those countries.

According to Xinhua, nearly 700 delegates representing more than 100 countries and regions and 20 international organizations attended the conference in a bid to pool financial resources to curb the spread of bird flu.-- BERNAMA