On the afternoon of May 18, 2003, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing had a telephone conversation with Australia's Acting Foreign Minister and Minister of Trade Mark Vaile. Li told Vaile that China would provide emergency assistance in the rescue of Australian mountaineers trapped in the Himalayas of the Chinese side on the China-Nepal border.

Li said that paying great attention, China's Foreign Ministry, the State Sports Administration, the foreign office of the Tibet Autonomous Region and relevant military departments lost no time in preparing to provide emergency assistance, after being informed on May 17 that the four Australian mountaineers were trapped on Mount Cho Oyu on the China-Nepal border after an accident. Li said that he and Yuan Weimin, Director of the State Sports Administration, offered their condolences on the death of one of the mountaineers and to the other three injured climbers. He also briefed Vaile on the difficult terrain and the hostile climate of the accident spot, hoping the rescue workers were highly aware of the dangers and also their rescue work success.

Vaile thanked the Chinese side for its rapid consent to assist in the rescue, pledging that the Australian government and people would continue their all-out support for the Chinese people's fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).