Beijing: Even as Beijing city quarantined nearly 13,000 people for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for a "people's war" against the killer epidemic that has claimed over 330 lives nationwide, the state media reported on May 2.

Hu, also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, called for a "people's war" against SARS and urged local authorities at all levels to be aware of the importance of the need to control the epidemic, Xinhua news agency reported from the SARS-hit North Chinese city of Tianjin.

On May 1, World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Tianjin as a SARS-affected city.

SARS has killed 170 people in mainland China and 162 people in Hong Kong. Thousands of others are admitted to hospitals nationwide with the infection.

Hu, together with Vice-Premier Wu Yi, who is also Minister of Health, visited the city's Centre of Disease Control and talked with local scientists about SARS.

"The key to defeating the epidemic lies in bringing into play the important role of science and technology," Hu said while stressing successful results achieved during the study of the virus should be brought into use as early as possible.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is also touring the South Chinese province of Guangdong from where the epidemic is thought to have originated in November last year.

Wen, who arrived in Guangdong from Bangkok after attending a special China-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) summit on SARS, urged leaders at all levels to redouble their efforts to prevent the spread of the disease that has claimed 51 lives in the province.

PTI