Former United States president, Bill Clinton, visited Chinese HIV carriers and AIDS patients Thursday at a Beijing hospital after signing a drug donation agreement with China's Health Ministry.

Clinton arrived in Beijing Wednesday night after his tour of Asia's tsunami-ravaged areas.

In his agreement with the Health Ministry, Clinton promised to provide a year's supply of AIDS drugs to Chinese children living with the disease.

Clinton was warmly welcomed by the hospital staff and AIDS patients. At an art workshop set up by HIV carriers at the hospital, he signed the paintings and postcards drawn by the patients and posed for photographs with them. The former president also visited the hospital's AIDS wards.

Since leaving office, Clinton has been engaged in getting HIV therapies to needy countries through his Clinton Foundation.

In April 2004, the Clinton Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with China's Health Ministry, promising to provide technical assistance in AIDS care and treatment to China.

The Chinese government estimates that the country has 840,000 HIV carriers, among whom nearly 80,000 have full blown AIDS. In recent years, China has taken aggressive measures to combat the disease and prevent it from spreading further.

Clinton said that besides treatment and medication, what is important for AIDS patients is to face the future and have confidence.

"The doctors here are good. I was deeply impressed by the art workshop... I feel good about it," Clinton told reporters before wrapping up his visit.