On May 17, at the Office of the President, Vice President Annette Lu met with a group of Indonesian experts on avian flu prevention, and asked them to assist Taiwan's participation in the international conference on avian flu prevention to be held in Indonesia this coming July.
The vice president also said to his guests that she anticipated more exchanges and cooperation with the Indonesian government on combating newly emerging infectious diseases, particularly avian flu. Taiwan started assisting Vietnam in fighting the threatening H5N1 bird flu last year, and has successfully contained its spread.
Like many other Asian countries, Taiwan was also severely hit by SARS three years ago, from which, the vice president told her guests, Taiwan has accumulated invaluable experiences in preventing any infectious disease of this kind.
These Indonesian experts included Watik Pratiknya, Sardikin Giriputro, Naydial Roesdal, Tata Naipospos, and Hadiarto Mangunnegogo, and their visit to the Office of the President was accompanied by Taiwan's Deputy Health Minister Chen Tzay-jinn.