U.S.-China talks expected to include collaboration on fighting infectious disease

Jul 29 2009

China's Deputy Health Minister Yin Li on Tuesday said that public health cooperation between China and the U.S. can improve the health of both countries and be strategically significant to world peace and development, Xinhua/China View reports (7/29).

His remarks come after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that she expects the second day of talks with Chinese officials to examine ways to work together to combat infectious disease, according to VOA News. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will attend the session, VOA News reports (7/28). 

According to Xinhua/China View, Yin said economic globalization fosters the spread of diseases across borders and that every country is facing challenges and threats posed by emerging and traditional epidemics, as well as chronic non-contagious diseases. "Therefore, both countries believe that it is of great significance to expand China-U.S. research and cooperation on disease issues, especially those concerning global public health," Yin said.

The deputy health minister praised two decades of public health cooperation between the U.S. and China, including current efforts to control the H1N1 flu spread. Yin said China has outlined proposals for future collaboration, including plans "to boost the bilateral cooperation on global health and promote the establishment of a transparent mechanism of information exchange and cooperation under the framework of international health regulations," Xinhua/China View writes (7/29).