The international children's charity Smile Train is giving $20 million to pay for a series of joint U.S.-China initiatives to eradicate the problem of cleft lips and palates among Chinese children.

The gift -- one of the largest nonprofit investments ever made in the field -- will fund free physician training, free surgery for children and research to find a cure for clefts, a disfiguring condition that affects millions of children worldwide.

Former President George Bush was the keynote speaker at "The First International Smile Train Cleft Lip and Palate Symposium" in Beijing March 2-4. Chinese doctors attended education sessions at the symposium that focused on new surgical techniques and treatments for children with the condition.

In addition, Smile Train -- a medical education organization -- will cover the costs of 4,000 surgeries for children this year. The group's partnership with the China Charity Federation has already provided surgery to 2,000 Chinese youth.

Smile Train is also funding research projects between U.S. and Chinese medical teaching hospitals to find a cure for cleft and to improve its treatment. Research projects involving Chinese doctors are currently underway at Johns Hopkins University, New York University, the University of Texas and the University of Pittsburgh.

The Smile Train, launched in 1999, is supported by individuals and foundations.

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