China, a country with 840,000 HIV carriers, began its first human trials of a new AIDS vaccine Saturday, said an expert with the disease prevention and control center of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

A 20-year old man became the first volunteer to receive the AIDS vaccine therapy. He was followed by seven others, four of them women. They all signed waivers and received physical check-up.

Chen Jie, vice director of the center, said 49 volunteers between 18 and 50 will receive the tests. The clinical research has three phases, he said, the first lasting 14 months. The second phase will test the immune nature and safety of the vaccine.

The State Food and Drug Administration approved the first clinical phase research of the new AIDS vaccine on November 25, 2004.

The United Nations has said that the number of HIV/AIDS victims in China could rise to 10 million by 2010 unless serious steps are taken to fight the disease.

On World AIDS Day in 2003, Premier Wen Jiabao shook hands with AIDS patients at a Beijing hospital in a symbolic display of commitment to fighting the disease.

There have been about 35 AIDS vaccine trials on humans throughout the world, most of which are still at the first phase.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2005)