In less than two years, Beijing's Child Protection and Help Center has received nearly 1,500 street children, 70 percent of them living by begging.

The Beijing Daily Messenger reports a recent government survey showing there are around 150,000 homeless children in China , and over 80 percent of them are from underdeveloped rural areas.

According to the paper, poverty and a breakdown in the family structure are the two major causes for the rising numbers of homeless children.

China opened its first pilot protection center for street children 10 years ago, and since then over 130 special aid institutions for urban street kids have been established.

(CRI August 8, 2005)