Premier Wen revisits AIDS-suffering villages
Updated: 2007-12-01 21:31
 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao shares a light moment with children orphaned due to the death of their parents from AIDS in Shangcai County, Central China's Henan Province Novermber 30, a day before the 20th World AIDS Day which fell on Saturday. [Xinhua] |
It was Wen's fifth face-to-face talks with AIDS patients or their family members since 2003.
"What's your name?"
"Zhang Shuwan."
"Do you remember how your parents were dying?"
"No, I don't."
This was a dialog between the visiting Premier and Zhang Shuwan, a 10-year-old girl, whose parents died of AIDS seven years ago, at the Chinese Red Ribbon Home, an orphanage at the Wangying Village of Lugang Township in Shangcai County on Friday morning.
Wen was accompanied by Henan's Communist Party chief Xu Guangchun and Governor Li Chengyu.
Upon learning that all the orphans are studying hard and with good results, Wen said with smile: "I have come to see, because I have kept you in my mind."
"You are very unfortunate for losing your parents at a young age, but you are very lucky, as well, since there are lots of people in the country who have taken care of you and showed concern for you," said the premier, advising the children to walk out of the shadow of losing parents.
He expressed his hopes that these children will study even harder to make themselves useful for the people, the nation and the society, in the future. He asked them to be happy and take an optimistic attitude toward life.
Afterwards, the premier sang a song together with the children. He also visited their dormitory, played table tennis, and had lunch with them.
Wen first visited Shangcai County in 2005 on the eve of Spring Festival, China's traditional Lunar New Year.
The county in Henan is well known for high AIDS incidence caused by illegal blood deals in 1990s. Among 38 worst AIDS-hit villages in Henan, 22 are located in Shangcai.
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