The First Tobacco Control and Lung Cancer Prevention Seminar across the Taiwan Straits was held in Beijing on October 11.

Some 400 participants discussed related topics on tobacco control legislation, services to help smokers kick the habit, risk factors for lung cancer in females, and the general trend in lung cancer.

Statistics show that lung cancer is the number one killer among Chinese on both sides of the straits; some 87 percent of lung cancer cases and fatalities are related to smoking.

"We are creating a platform and finding opportunities for experts to jointly promote tabacco control and lung cancer prevention across the Taiwan Straits," said Dr. Zhao Ping, vice director of Cancer Foundation of China.

There are over 300 million smokers in China, accounting for one third of the world's smoking population, according to statistics.

The Chinese Association on Tobacco Control was founded in 1990. "Tobacco control is a complex issue worldwide, which involves the medical, law, economic and social sectors and has been facing huge challenges from tobacco-related groups for a long time," said Xu Guihua, executive vice director of the association. "We invited celebrities to help us promote anti-smoking campaigns, and need more participation and supports from ordinary people. There is still a long way to go."