There are many ways to become infected. Many people may sell blood to send their children to school, have blood transfusions during operations, or have sex with those they love before urging their partners to take an HIV test. The infected people are just less fortunate.

In Chinese there is an aphorism: "Treat others the way that you would like to be treated." Why hurt those who are already less fortunate?

I have many hopes, and I believe that there might be many people who share those hopes.

I hope that in the future, the uninfected won't be afraid to mix with the infected; that job-seekers will be judged by their ability and not their HIV status.

I hope that patients don't have to fear seeking treatment at hospitals.

I hope that vegetable suppliers can tell customers, without shame, that the mushrooms they are selling were grown in the "AIDS village" of Shangcai by a group of unlucky yet unyielding farmers, without having to worry if the customers would reject their goods.

I hope that HIV-infected children can play with their classmates as friends, can study together and help each other.

It may seem like a dream now, but I hope it is not far away.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2008)