BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- China launched a five-year research project Wednesday aimed at answering a number of HIV/AIDS-related puzzles such as why Chinese people are genetically predisposed to be more easily infected with the virus.

    Led by Dr. Zhang Linqi, director of AIDS Research Center of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, the state-funded project will focus on eight research areas including how the HIV virus mutates and remains latent in the human body and why Chinese seem to be more easily infected with the virus through sexual contact.

    According to the project, China will also bring together AIDS specialists from across the country to form its first team dedicated to systematic clinical research on the deadly disease.

    China reported 183,733 HIV/AIDS cases in 2006, up 30 percent from 2005. Experts from the Ministry of Health estimate there are actually 650,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in China.