Better cross-border co-operation on infectious disease outbreaks is expected thanks to the opening of mainland-authorised laboratories at the University of Hong Kong.
Zhong Nanshan, of the Guangzhou Institute for Respiratory Diseases and president of the Chinese Medical Association, said the designation as a key national laboratories would make HKU a member of a laboratory network.
Dr Zhong made the remarks at the official opening yesterday of the laboratory of emerging infectious diseases at HKU.
The laboratory will be linked to those in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou.
'Once an outbreak of an unknown virus happens, I am sure Hong Kong will get a share of the samples so we can try to find out as soon as possible what it is and how to prevent it,' Dr Zhong said.
Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua yesterday opened the infectious diseases laboratory and also the key laboratory on brain and cognitive sciences - the only key national laboratories outside the mainland.