BEIJING- About 400,000 Chinese children die every year in China due to inadequate medical care, according to a Chinese government advisory group, which urged that more financial resources be invested into the health care system.

According to the Chinese advisory group, most of these deaths occur in rural areas. Approximately 50% of rural China's children do not receive any medical attention.

The study finds that these children, mostly under five years old, just die at home or on their way to receive medical attention at far-away hospitals.

China has drawn much negative attention over the growing public dissatisfaction with the state-controlled healthcare system. This system once gave free excellent medical care.

Today the government faces complaints ranging from fake drugs to crowded hospitals and expensive medications.

The Chinese advisory group estimated that if the government spent an extra $3.3 billion more annually, then the lives of 240,000 children could be saved.

The advisory group stated prior to a Chinese Parliamentary Meeting that the government spent 3.4% of its overall expenditures in 2006 on healthcare. And that the expected increase to 3.5% this year was of little value to those children.

Reflecting on the disparity in income, they stated that the Chinese people could no longer rely upon their healthcare system. If "you are rich, you live" but if "you are poor, you die."