Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), expressed his gratitude Tuesday to the HK and Macao members of the CPPCC National Committee for their support for the anti-SARS battle on the Chinese mainland.
Jia, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, thanked the members during his meeting with HK members of the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing.
During the meeting, Jia also called on the CPPCC to make full use of its role in order to make a greater contribution to the control of SARS and to promote national economic growth.
On Tuesday, 133 former and incumbent members of the CPPCC National Committee from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region donated more than 40 million HK dollars (US$5.12 million) to the anti-SARS combat on the Chinese mainland.
To date, the Chinese mainland has received more than 100 million yuan (some US$12 million) in donations from the HK and Macao members of the CPPCC National Committee.
The donations made in support of the anti-SARS battle on the Chinese mainland symbolize the patriotic spirit of the compatriots from HK and Macao, the core of the soul and the ethos of the Chinese nation, Jia said.
Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Hu Jintao as the general secretary, the Chinese people, with one mind, united strength and strong economic backing, will undoubtedly achieve two victories, the first in the battle against the contagious disease, and the second in the drive to speed up economic development, Jia said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2003)
