Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), urged all
localities to attach great importance to the dual tasks of
SARS-control and maintaining steady economic development.
During his inspection tour of north China's Hebei
Province from May 11 to 14, Jia also urged the patriotic united
front to provide strong support to efforts in the two fields.
Accompanied by local officials, Jia inspected hospitals, quarantine
departments, urban communities, government organizations, schools,
enterprises and rural areas in the province and exchanged views
with local officials and people.
Inspecting SARS-control work in Zhuozhou City, which borders the
southern part of Beijing, Jia said Hebei surrounds Beijing on all
sides and constitutes the capital city's "moat" and "protection
forest belt".
He
urged the province to attach great importance to doing a good job
on SARS-control, saying it will affect the overall SARS-control
situation in Beijing and the whole country.
In
talks with personnel of democratic parties and federations of
industry and commerce and those without party affiliation, Jia said
the united front could contribute to the nation's SARS-control and
economic development in a number of ways.
He
said the front could play a coordinating role, helping to mobilize
social resources to work for the fulfillment of the two tasks, and
to honestly report new developments in society to the Communist
Party of China and the government.
(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2003)