Former US President Bill Clinton, who has used his influence to push for the global prevention and control of HIV/AIDS since leaving the White House, attended the international seminar on HIV/AIDS and SARS in Tsinghua University in Beijing on Monday.

He delivered a speech on global HIV/AIDS prevention and control efforts.

Also speaking at the seminar are internationally renowned AIDS researcher, Dr. David Ho, a Chinese American who pioneered the drug cocktail treatment for AIDS patients, and China's AIDS ambassador, famous Chinese actor Pu Cunxin.

China is facing an uphill struggle against the fast spreading of the deadly disease in the country. Official statistics indicate that there are 840,000 people in China infected with HIV virus or became AIDS patients. That number ranks the second in Asia.

The nation is committed to offering free treatment to HIV carriers and AIDS patients in the rural areas and to people in urban AIDS-infected areas who face financial difficulties.

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2003)