Discrimination against HIV carriers is one of the biggest challenges facing China today in tackling the disease. But Hong Kong star and singer Leon Lai is taking one step at a time. His recent trip to the rural part of Yunnan province hopes to educate those who are still in the dark about the deadly disease.

To some, he's a heartthrob canto pop and movie star. But to these children living in the shadow of HIV/AIDS, Leon Lai conjures up hope. His three day trip to the remote Longling County in Yunnan province is part of a campaign called Local Action for Rural Children or LARC, which he helped launch in 2006.

CHINA HIT BY WIKILEAKS REVELATIONS
YANGTZE PORT TO EXPAND
BEIJING HOSTS GREEN EXPO
SNOW DISRUPTS NORTH EAST
WHO WILL ATTEND NOBEL CEREMONY?

Last week BON went out on the streets to ask about discrimination when looking for a job. While height and looks were a problem for some, in fact most people said they didn’t see it as a big problem. And China does have laws to that prohibit certain forms of discrimination – especially on grounds of gender or disability. But as Susan Tart now reports, there are other forms and China’s first genetic discrimination case is now before the courts.

In China, measures to tackle HIV/AIDS had always been decided by government leaders- with little regard for input from civil society. But recently China's fight against the disease has taken what experts are calling a historic turn. BON's Kelda Yuen has more on the country's new forum that will- for the first time- provide activists and people living with HIV/AIDS to be heard by the country's top policy makers.