The number of Chinese Red Cross volunteers is expected to exceed one million by 2010, with the Red Cross spirit being promoted in "all aspects of social services and public welfare", according to the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC).

"China has about 846,000 Red Cross volunteers, who are vigorously offering help in fields such as humanitarian relief, social support and spread of the Red Cross spirit," said Jiang Yiman, the RCSC deputy director, at a conference on China's Red Cross services on Tuesday.

An RCSC development plan for the next four years predicts more than one million volunteers by 2010, with about 200,000 registered volunteers working at least 20 hours a year, Jiang said.

The RCSC would focus more on emergency relief, health care, humanitarian support, encouragement of hemopoietic stem cell, blood and organ donations, AIDS prevention, fund raising, and overseas service in the future, Jiang said.

Volunteers who served more than 10 years with more than 1,500 hours, and those who had served 3,000 hours, were to receive a "lifetime volunteer" title.

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2007)