China enforces HIV tests for returning nationals

China enforces HIV tests for returning nationals
BEIJING (Reuters) - China, which is to scrap laws thatrestrict people with HIV/AIDS traveling to the country, is tomake Chinese citizens who leave for a more than a year have HIVtests on their return, a newspaper said on Thursday.
The apparently contradictory regulations, introduced byquarantine authorities, started this month and also apply toChinese air and ship crew members working abroad, the BeijingNews said.
The newspaper did not elaborate on how the tests wouldwork, for instance, for air crew coming in and out of thecountry every few days.
A Health Ministry official said last month China wouldscrap immigration laws that restrict people with HIV/AIDStraveling to the country.
The restrictions have been a hindrance blocking people whoare HIV-positive from entering China to attend conferences onAIDS and are seen as reinforcing stigmas against those livingwith the disease.
China will have an estimated 50,000 new HIV infections in2007, compared with 70,000 in 2005, according to a report bythe State Council, or Cabinet, and the United Nations.
That will mean there will be about 700,000 people livingwith HIV/AIDS this year in China, up from an earlier estimateof 650,000.
(Reporting by Beijing newsroom, editing by Nick Macfie)