BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- On the 20th World AIDS Day, the campaign to prevent HIV/AIDS and combat discrimination is being publicized across China with the aim of raising public awareness about the virus, which was previously linked to "immoral conduct" in the country.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao talks with AIDS orphans at the Zhonghua Red Ribbon Home of the Lugang township in Shangcai County, central China's Henan Province, Nov. 30, 2007, a day before the 20th World AIDS Day. Wen on Friday paid a visit, the second since 2005, to China's worst AIDS-hit villages in Henan Province. (Xinhua Photo)

    In cities like Beijing and Shanghai, people distributed AIDS prevention brochures along the streets and promoted the use of condoms.

    In Changsha, capital of Hunan Province in central China, more than 40,000 official warning signs were put on the bedstand of 120 hotels across the city.

    In Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, hundreds of volunteers delivered brochures to more than 15,000 homosexuals in colleges, gay bars and residential districts over the past two years.

    In the eastern city of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, people flew kites embroidered with red ribbons in front of the railway stations.

Volunteers fly kites carrying red ribbon at the Renmin Square in Weihai, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 1, 2007. A group of volunteers from local medical institutions and Shandong University Weihai Branch gathered on the World AIDS Day to popularize knowledge about AIDS and promote the awareness of preventing the epidemic. (Xinhua Photo)

    By the end of October 2007, a total of 223,501 people had been officially reported to have contracted HIV, including 62,838 AIDS patients, according to an appraisal report by the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS.

    Though the rate of AIDS growth has slowed down, the government has admitted the situation remains grave in the country with a population of 1.3 billion. Official reports say there are estimated to be as many as 700,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in China.

    The Ministry of Finance announced Friday that 860 million yuan (114 million U.S. dollars) would be allocated from the central budget for AIDS prevention and control.

    Statistics show Chinese government has allocated 3.81 billion yuan (508 million dollars) since 2003 to combat AIDS.

Chinese college students display a kite carrying a red ribbon during an activity to commemorate the World AIDS Day in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, Dec. 1, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)

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