On the morning of March 22, the first CAMS/IPS-CAS Symposium on Infectious Diseases was successfully launched in Beijing. The meeting had the honor of having the presence and their warm addresses of Prof. Chen Zhu, Minister of Health and Prof. Li Jiayang, Vice President of CAS at the opening ceremony.

　　Minister Chen briefly addressed the achievements of fighting infectious diseases in China. He pointed out that we were facing the grand challenges from the new-emerging diseases. During the SARS outbreak, Institut Pasteur was the first foreign organization which sent out delegation to China. He hoped we could continue our beyond the border cooperation and strengthen our research abilities through cooperation. He also stressed that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will bring challenges, but also opportunities as well. He was looking forward to the greater achievement and more contributions to the Beijing Olympic Games by both parties. 

　　Vice President Li Jiayang sincerely congratulated on the inauguration of the symposium. He hoped that, in the two-day meeting, scientists would share their know-how and visions of laboratories from two academies, CAS and CAMS, on basic and applied research on infectious diseases. He also wished that the collaboration would be a model of joint venture between fundamental basic research and clinical research.

　　This symposium was the first high-level scientific activity between the two institutes. In the one and half day meeting, twenty-four scientists from both sides gave excellent presentations and brought burning discussions and thoughtful comments on fundamental research, applied research and prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, such as AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, Avian Flu, etc.

　　On the closing ceremony, Directors of IPS-CAS and Vice Presidents of CAMS all showed strong confidence in the coming collaboration to contribute to the Public Health in China.