China forced to take AIDS prevention steps
(CNN) -- Just a few years ago it would have been hard to imagine finding a condom machine on a college campus in the Chinese capital, Beijing.
But now, a thousand machines are being installed in hotels, bars, karaoke rooms and colleges across the city as the Chinese government seeks to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.
One girl says she feels the condom machines are needed, but another says she doesn't know if condoms really protect users against AIDS.
"It's just for show," one male student says.
With the number of HIV cases in the past twenty years fast approaching the one million mark, China has been forced to take steps to protect its young people from the danger of AIDS.
One of the most important steps was the appointment of a celebrity, television and film actress Zhang Wenli to front the AIDS prevention advertising campaign.
One campaign advertisement says: "For you and for your family, make one small commitment to prevent AIDS. Red Ribbon, tie life and love together."
"The Chinese audience likes me," Wenli says. "They think I'm very down-to-earth."
"As the AIDS Prevention Ambassador, when I tell them how to prevent AIDS, I think they will be more receptive to what I say as compared to what the government tells them."
The Chinese government has set itself targets to reach by 2005 -- making AIDS education widespread and condom use more common and controlling the rate of new infections.
But can they hit those targets and are they ambitious enough? And who is listening?
Some college students have their own opinions.
"The Chinese government is more open than before about AIDS," one young man says.
However a female student says: "I haven't seen any great effort."
"HIV/AIDS is still not well known," says another. "So efforts must be increased."
