There were 568,000 Red Cross volunteers in China in 2006, 51,000 more than in 2005, Guangming Daily reported on Monday.

In its annual report, the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) said it had organized a series of voluntary activities in 2006 including primary medical rescue, blood donations, AIDS prevention activities, disaster relief, as well as helping farmers and sponsoring education.

The RCSC will recruit 100,000 more volunteers and further extend its services to communities, rural areas, schools and hospitals in 2007, an RCSC official said.

The official said that the RCSC will accelerate the establishment of branches at all levels to organize volunteers and oversee the services they provide.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2007)