A national Vagrants Relief and Management System was launched in more than 400 rescue and aid centers across China on Monday morning, announced Li Liguo, vice minister of Civil Affairs.

The system is intended to establish a new relief platform that connects the Ministry of Civil Affairs, local departments and aid centers, providing aid to vagrants, especially children and the disabled, and to prevent abuses of the welfare system.

Among the 1026 aiding centers in China, more than 400 centers run at township-level and above have joined the system.

The system's integrated database will include information including a vagrant's age and reasons for applying for aid. It is hoped that this will help to prevent relief fraud.

The system also creates a platform for exchange and cooperation between aid centers, in particular, cross-province cooperation to help street children, the disabled and senior citizens.

Information about missing people will also be posted on the system website: www.jiuzhunet.net.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs estimates that there are about 150,000 homeless children in China, and over 80 percent of them are from underdeveloped rural areas.

(People's Daily, translated by Li Shen August 9, 2005)