BEIJING, Jan 18: China has won the battle against Sars, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Sunday, as the focus on preventing the spread of the deadly virus turned to Beijing and the north ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Wen, speaking at the third plenary meeting of the State Council, said China had made advances in reforms and opening up the country in the last year, as well as in the fight against Sars.

"Wen delivered a speech to the meeting, saying that the Chinese people won the severe fight against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars)," Xinhua news agency said.

China has confirmed three Sars cases in the southern province of Guangdong - two have since recovered and one is in stable condition in hospital. Sars first emerged in Guangdong late in 2002 before being spread by travellers to more than 30 countries, infecting about 8,000 people and killing nearly 800.

Now China is turning its attention to Beijing and the north in fighting the virus as tens of millions of people take to the road for the Lunar New Year holiday.-Reuters