TAIPEI -- In late 2002, when the SARS virus began spreading in southern China, health authorities there waited until February 2003 to report the then-unknown contagion to the World Health Organization. China's inadequate and less-than-transparent initial response provided ideal conditions for the respiratory virus to spread globally, ultimately infecting more than 8,000 people and killing more than 700 people in 37 countries.
Agriculture
China's African swine fever outbreak ripples across Asia
As higher pork prices spark inflation, many see long-term economic impact
Just as China bore the brunt of its mishandling of SARS, experts say the country is poised to incur serious economic consequences from African swine fever that could last well into the next year or two. © Reuters
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