China vows Thursday to make joint efforts with the international community to eliminate the bird flu that has flared up around the world.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told a regular press conference here that China is concerned bout the bird flu epidemic and has set up a nationwide monitoring network and pre-schemes for emergency to take strict precautions against the infection.

Kong said China has also strengthened the quarantine of imports and exports to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

Kong confirmed that the H5N1 strain, which is potentially lethal to humans, was found on a farm in Tengjiaying village near the Inner Mongolian capital of Hohhot. "So far the epidemic situation has been under control, and no any case of human infection or any new cases reported."

Kong said that China has suggested international society hold a forum next year in Beijing to discuss the surveillance, control, prevention and information exchange of the new infections like bird flu.

Kong announced that Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang will visit Canada and Japan from Oct.22 to Nov.1. Gao will attend a ministerial-level international meeting about prevention of bird flu during his visit to Canada.

Source: Xinhua