Criminal charges on illegal surrogacy

A CCTV report found that underground surrogacy businesses are thriving these days. Underground agencies cheat young girls into donating egg cells, even bearing a baby for the rich, with the victims being mostly about 20 years old, some even still in high school. Comments:

As early as 2001, the authorities passed two regulations on assisted human reproduction, which prohibit the trade of sperm, egg cells and paid surrogacy. But the law, strict with ordinary citizens is rather soft with surrogacy traders - those who break the regulations face just a fine not higher than 30,000 yuan ($4,830).

Beijing Youth Daily, Jan 11

Of all the "customers" served by the underground surrogacy agencies, one kind is especially cruel: those that only want a son and who compel the surrogate mother to abort if the embryo is found to be female. This is more than absurd; it is inhuman and the authorities should intervene instead of sitting idle.

Bai Ni, on Sina blog