China’s top diplomat assures Southeast Asia on epidemic
VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — China’s top diplomat assured his Southeast Asian counterparts on Wednesday that the situation in a central Chinese province where the outbreak of a new virus began has “been brought under effective control.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi also expressed confidence that China can “secure an early victory against this outbreak.”
Wang made the remarks in a speech to diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Laotian capital of Vientiane. The group, which has expressed alarm over the outbreak that started in China's Hubei province, is to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the disease.
Six countries in the 10-nation ASEAN bloc have confirmed cases of the virus.
“With the strong efforts of the Chinese nation, the entire situation is turning for the better,” Wang said. “Hubei province and Wuhan city have been at the epicenter of this outbreak and the situation in these places has been brought under effective control.”
Outside Hubei, the number of confirmed cases has dropped for 15 consecutive days and the number of cured and discharged patients is also rising, Wang said, adding that on Tuesday, the number of cured patients was larger than the number of new infections for the first time since the outbreak began in December.
Asked to comment on Wang’s assurances, Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said China managed to stop an outbreak of SARS, a related virus, years ago. “I hope that the Chinese could do the same thing this time,” he told The Associated Press.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the AP on Tuesday that the virus “is not out of control but it is a very dangerous situation.” He added that “the risks are enormous and we need to be prepared worldwide for that.”
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