Chinese people who live abroad for more than a year will have to
take an HIV test on their return, according to a regulation which
takes effect on Saturday, the World AIDS Day.
The regulation on the cross-border control and prevention of
AIDS was issued by the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) back in May.
Chinese citizens will be required to take an HIV test at the
border when he or she enters the country, or apply for a HIV test
form at the border and take the test at qualified local hospitals
within a month.
Foreigners wanting to stay in China for more than a year will
also be required to take an HIV test and show the results to the
public security departments when applying for a residence
certificate.
Chinese employees working for international transport services,
such as airlines, cross-border bus and train services will also
have to take HIV tests.
On the other hand, China is relaxing restrictions on HIV
carriers visiting the country from overseas.
"China has started revising the current laws and regulations
that ban HIV carriers from entering the country," health ministry
spokesman Mao Qun'an said earlier this month.
China issued the Law on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens
in 1985, regulating that foreigners with infectious diseases such
as leprosy, HIV/AIDS and venereal disease were not allowed to enter
the country. "According to the transmissive nature of HIV/AIDS and
our current evaluation of the harmfulness of HIV carriers, we have
decided to revise laws and regulations that ban HIV carriers' from
entering the country," Mao said.
But he didn't say when and how the laws would be revised.
The new regulation to take effect on Saturday said that
HIV-positive people, Chinese and foreigners, shall report to the
quarantine authority when entering China. The authority will inform
the local disease control and prevention departments after
confirming the report.
A report issued by China's Ministry of Health, the World Health
Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS said that by the end of October 2007,
a total of 223,501 people had been officially reported to carry HIV
in China, including 62,838 AIDS patients.
The real figures are estimated at 85,000 AIDS patients and
700,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.
Globally, 2.5 million people have been diagnosed with HIV so far
in 2007, with a total of 33.2 million living with the virus.
(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2007)