China vows to keep killer flu out of border

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:18 May 05 2009]
• Comments

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (R, front) shakes hands with an expert on prevention and control of A(H1N1) Flu prior to a symposium at the Ministry of Health in Beijing, May 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

 If any passengers developed symptoms like fever, all the passengers and flight crew would probably be quarantined after returning to China, sources with the airline told Xinhua.

China suspended flights from Mexico to Shanghai starting Saturday after a 25-year-old Mexican man, who arrived in Shanghai Thursday aboard flight Aeromexico 098, was later diagnosed with influenza A(H1N1) in Hong Kong.

The Mexican became Hong Kong's first confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) infection Friday. It was also the first such casein Asia.

China Monday cancelled a chartered flight to Mexico to pick up 120 or so stranded passengers. The airline said another 80 Chinese citizens have requested to take the expected chartered flight back to the country.

NO DISCRIMINATION, CHINA SAYS

Monday's take-off of Chinese plane has been a result of a bilateral agreement between the governments, which allows both to send chartered flights to each other's country to lift their stranded nationals.

The agreement was reached even after diplomatic disputes whether China has taken discriminatory measures against Mexican citizens.

Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Cantellano has complained China's quarantine of some Mexican citizens with no symptoms of the virus was discriminatory and short of scientific evidence. He also reminded Mexican citizens not to travel to China until it corrected the discriminatory measures.