This is the first step of a nationwide campaign, China Children's Safety Action, launched in Beijing on March 31 with the aim of arousing the whole society's attention to better protect children's safety and to better educate children to avoid accidental injury or death.

Statistics show that one fourth of child deaths in China are caused by accidents, making it the first killer of Chinese children under the age of 14.

According to experts, most of the accidental injuries or deathsare caused by carelessness or ignorance, which can be avoided withbetter security knowledge and control.

Gao Yanming, director of Safety Action, said children's safety was relevant to every family and Safety Action would help build a safe and peaceful living environment for children.

A survey will also be carried out to investigate the types, causes and results of children's accidental injuries and deaths. Children will be encouraged to search for potential safety dangersand learn how to protect themselves from dangers.

Cultivation of a sense of self-protection is an important part of Safety Action, as Chinese children do not know how to protect themselves, said Gao.

The National Working Committee of Chinese Young Pioneers launched Children Coming Home Safely in 2000, a nationwide activity intended to protect children from traffic accidents, which proved to be very successful.

Besides traffic safety, violence at school and home and other accidents are all threats to children's safety.

Safety Action's aim is not to ask the children to merely remember the lines about safety in books, but to teach them the skills of coping with accidents through games, lectures and knowledge competitions.

The organizing committee has received many consultation phone calls since the activity started half a month ago. Some parents even invited volunteers to give their children lectures on safety.

"The security of children deserves attention from the whole society. We hope more and more people will get involved into this safety action," said Gao.

Safety Action was jointly launched by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security and the National Working Committeeof Chinese Young Pioneers.

The campaign will last until the end of this December.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2003)