China

Homosexuality is not recognized in China. The age of consent is set at 14 for all. The spread of pornography to minors aged under the age of eighteen is punishable with imprisonment. In mainland China, gay life often remains hidden because of the conservative traditional Chinese culture. Due to social and family pressure, most gay people living outside the major cities are still expected to marry and have children, while at the same time living a double life, hiding their gay life. With the emergence of a liberated, sexually active gay community, the HIV figures in China are rising dramatically, creating unique challenges. AIDS education in China is complicated. Reliable statistics relating to the actual numbers of HIV infected men in China are not available - as many men do not identify themselves as homosexual. It is possible that as many as 4 percent of China's population (52 million people) are infected, due to the lack of knowledge about the virus. The Hong Kong based Chi Heng Foundation, which supports with AIDS orphans, teaches HIV prevention to gay men in China. The government's policy toward the gay scene can be considered to be neutral. However, sometimes the gay scene is wrongfully accused of being involved with sex business, which the police treat harshly.