HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today renewed the U.S.-China Health Protocol with Chinese Vice Minister of Health Huang Jie-fu to continue collaborations in health and biomedical science activities between the two nations, including environmental health; maternal and child nutrition; infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis and influenza; and cataract prevention.

Representing Secretary Thompson, Deputy Secretary Claude A. Allen and Vice Minister Huang also signed a Joint Statement of Intent to host a health care forum in Beijing next spring. The forum, to be held in cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Commerce, will convene government officials, health care associations and industry leaders to examine how the U.S. and China can efficiently provide effective, high-quality health care to their people.

"These agreements between the U.S. and China will strengthen an already important global health partnership, and will focus special attention on critical areas," Secretary Thompson said. "As our nations continue to battle diseases such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, influenza and others, it becomes more and more important to work together, exchange ideas, and establish innovative new programs in health."

The Health Protocol, last renewed in 1997, will promote the cooperation and exchange of information and scientific advancement in disease control and prevention, public health protection, biomedical research, health services and health policy research, and health administration and finance.

Both the Health Protocol and the Joint Statement of Intent complement several ongoing HHS global health initiatives. In October 2003, Secretary Thompson met with Executive Vice Minister of Health Gao Qiang in Beijing and pledged continued assistance by the U.S. to build the capacity of China to detect, fight and treat diseases, and to urge openness among Chinese officials in the fight against infectious diseases.

In February, HHS opened a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global AIDS Program office Beijing. Similarly, In June 2002, HHS and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on HIV Prevention and Control. Simultaneously with the MOU, the National Institutes of Health awarded a $14.8 million, five-year grant to the China CDC.