Distinguished Your Excellency Minister Chan Soo Sen, Board of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, artists, members of the Chinese Overseas Students Association, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am very pleased to attend tonight’s performance. In the form of performance, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the Chinese Overseas Students Association will show their support to the Chinese and Singaporean medical staffs, who are fighting against SARS at the very frontier, and they will express their deep sympathy and care to their compatriots，who are still suffering from SARS. This remarkable event will transcend the space and time, and join together hearts of both countries’ people. Valuable and touching, it will represent the purest passion and greatest philanthropy of human being. I would like to express my heartfelt admiration and gratitude to the students and friends who attend tonight’s concert!

SARS came as an unforeseeable catastrophe. Honestly, I should say that at the beginning, China failed to accumulate enough acknowledge about SARS, which resulted in a stranded scenario. As the new generation of Chinese leaders took office, they soon recognized the stern situation before they addressed a series of effective measures in the decisive and firm manner. They managed to lead china out of the predicament, actively curb the dangerous tide and in the end, created a better situation. People have obtained information from different sources that the SARS contagion trend has been stablized and now is under effective control.

China’s notable progress in SARS control corresponds with the victorious news that Singapore is removed from list of areas with local SARS transmission. We feel so pleased at the success achieved by the Chinese and Singaporean government. As a matter of fact, the two countries have been maintaining sound cooperation in combating SARS. The Singaporean government has set up a good example for China with its transparency, decisiveness and efficiency of the action. Various Singaporean societies have given valuable material and spiritual support to the Chinese people. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, I would like to take this opportunity to convey the sincere gratitude to the Singaporean government and people.

The worldwide battle of SARS prevention and control has reached a turning point.  The stormy struggle has ended. However, the anti-epidemic war still has a long run. For the next step, two targets should be pursued at the same time. We should still continue our work in preventing SARS spread and keep vigilant against reoccurrence of the epidemic until the last success. On the other hand, no efforts should we spare in fostering the economy and improvement of other fields in order to make up the losses caused by the epidemic in the first half year. How to do a good job in the post-SARS period will become our focus. Both governments of China and Singapore have share consensus in this aspect. Since the cooperation at the first stage has exerted a distinctive effect in fighting against SARS, the collaboration of the next stage will be more meaningful to both countries’ economy development.

Against different national background, SARS-caused economic damage of China and Singapore varies in different scales. As far as China concerns, the negative influence is short lasting, partial and limited, so its economy will continue maintaining a strong booming imputes. Many worldwide authoritative economic organizations all share the view that China’s economy will grow at the speed no less than 7% this year. After getting rid of the SARS shadow, China will be bathed under the sunshine, with hope and vigour. Still considered a promising land in terms of foreign investment, China is an ‘oasis of safety’, ‘lowland of cost’ and ‘highland of profit’ for the foreign investors. China’s economy is still driving with favourable wind. As a hospitable neighbour, reliable partner and good friend, China warmly welcomes people from Singapore to visit, do business, invest and travel in China. In the same way, as China’s ‘enterprises going out’ strategy being implemented, we will see more and more Chinese enterprises settle down in Singapore, more and more young Chinese students come to study in Singapore, and more Chinese people visit and travel in Singapore. China and Singapore will cooperate more closely in various areas, and the relations between the two countries will enter a new stage.

Finally, I wish tonight’s performance a great success and a wonderful time for you all!