And that later led to a public display by Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao who comforted people living with AIDS.

Every three months since then, a group of 50 journalists, government officials and people living with HIV/AIDS check into a guest houses near Tsinghua University, where they spend the next three days living, eating and learning together in a workshop training journalists and government officials for preventing HIV/AIDS.

In one of the workshops, I had a conversation with a media official.

"Would you shake hands with a HIV positive person?" I asked.

"I would shake hands with or even hug an AIDS patient, as President Hu Jintao or Premier Wen Jiabao did," she said.

"If a teacher with your son's class is found to be HIV positive, what will be your reaction?" I asked.

"I would never allow a HIV positive person to teach my child," she said firmly.

"What kind of job would you recommend the teacher to do after he or she is fired by the school," I asked.

"He or she can do anything for a living except being a teacher," she said.

"If they start a food stand in your neighborhood, would you buy them?" I asked.

"No, I won't eat any food cooked by people living with HIV/AIDS," she said honestly.

"Why are you so afraid of HIV/AIDS," I asked.