James Chau, a London-born expatriate in China, was recently appointed as the goodwill ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Beijing-based Jinghua Newspaper reported today, August 14.

He has long anchored a series of news programs broadcast on the English-language channel of China Central Television, known as “CCTV 9.”

The decision to appoint Chau was announced two days ago at Asia Pacific AIDS Conference held in Indonesia by UNAIDS. The organization hopes Chau can use his popularity gained during his tenure at CCTV 9, which is aired to more than 80 countries, to promulgate knowledge and raise awareness among youth about the deadly disease.

Chau felt highly honored of the appointment and looked forward to cooperating in the future with young people to fight the disease. “We live in a world where AIDS is an everyday reality. It shouldn’t be there. And if we get engaged, get informed and get inspired, it needn’t be either,” he wrote in the AIDS column of his personal Web site.

Graduating from Cambridge University, the 32-year-old newsman has long partnered with the UN in eliminating the discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Millions of people in the world are living with or have died from the virulent disease.

(China.org.cn by Wu Jin, August 14, 2009)