The new case was a suspected case which later was confirmed as being severe acute respiratory syndrome, the health ministry said.

WHO spokesman Bob Dietz said it did not affect the UN health agency's decision on Tuesday to declare China Sars-free and lift the advisory against Beijing, globally the last remaining travel warning.

Vice-Premier Wu Yi promised WHO's Regional Director Shigeru Omi, that China 'will spare no effort to prevent the return of Sars,' according to the official Xinhua news agency.

'We will remain on high alert and continue to implement all preventive and control measures,' she said.

Beijing's government and businesses wasted no time in celebrating what was billed as a victory for the nation, whose population had been mobilised for the past few months to battle the spread of the pneumonia-like illness.

They also kick-started a campaign to lure back visitors and investment.

Beijing is the city hardest hit by Sars that first surfaced in Guangdong in November and spread around the world.

On Wednesday, a noticeable change in practice occurred, with many areas discontinuing temperature checks.

Chinese officials, however, insist they will continue to implement control measures despite the effective containment of the epidemic, but will adjust the measures taken during what resembled a state of emergency.

The State Council will soon dispatch supervisory teams to all 31 provinces to evaluate the level of preparedness of local governments for potential future epidemics.

Clinics for fever patients are to remain operational and anyone suspected of having SARS are to be put under medical observation for two weeks.

Vice-Premier Wu told the WHO's Omi that the government will strengthen the public health sector and disease prevention and control systems, in addition to improving the mechanism for response to public health emergencies.

Beijing on Wednesday pledged to work with the WHO in the long-term to improve health care, especially in the vast rural areas