BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao encouraged HIV sufferers to live on with hope and confidence during his visit to a Beijing hospital on the World AIDS Day, which falls on Tuesday.

Since China reported its first AIDS case in 1985, the world's most populous nation has recorded 319,877 HIV infections, including 49,845 deaths by October, according to the Ministry of Health.

Yet, the statistics only include cases reported by medical facilities. The ministry and the UNAIDS estimate that China has 560,000 to 920,000 HIV carriers, with 97,000 to 112,000 AIDS patients by the end of 2009.