Million Aids victims in China by 2003

The number of people in China infected with the AIDS virus will soar to one million by the end of this year.

A Health Ministry official says the rate of new infections seems to be falling.

The announcement is the highest estimate given yet by the Chinese government, which activists and foreign health experts accuse of failing to do enough to stop the epidemic.

The number of infected people in China jumped 58% from 2000 to 2001, but the rate of increase this year dropped to 16.7%.

Previous estimates put China's population with the virus at 850,000 at the end of last year, though health officials say they have confirmed only 30,736 cases.

Qi gave no explanation for the reported fall in the rate of new infections. But he noted government efforts that include supplying low-cost treatment and trying to clean up an unsanitary blood-buying industry blamed for infecting thousands of rural villagers.

China's first AIDS case was detected in 1985.

The government denied for years that the disease was a problem, but since last year has released more information.

"We still can't stop the spread, but we can exercise some sort of control over it," Qi said at a news conference.

Nevertheless, he said, China could have as many as 10 million people carrying the virus by the end of the decade "if we don't do our jobs well."