China surrogacy abandonment case being investigated after online criticism

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A 28-year-old woman who acted as a surrogate in China's southwestern city of Chengdu is said to have been abandoned by her surrogacy agency, fuelling tides of criticism on social media and prompting health authorities to investigate the situation.

Surrogacy is illegal in China and authorities said last year they would "severely crack down" on illegal activities related to the use of assisted reproductive technologies such as the buying or selling of sperm or eggs and surrogacy.

China has been trying to boost its birth rate after its population declined for a second consecutive year in 2023. The country's State Council this week detailed 13 measures to build a birth-friendly society to raise the country's fertility rate.

In this case, the surrogate, who was not named, had the embryo transplant three months earlier but had not shown any initial signs of pregnancy, according to a post on social media platform Weibo by Shangguan Zhengyi, who tracks surrogacy cases around the country.

The woman was sent home by the surrogacy agency but then later found out she was pregnant, Shangguan said. When she tried to get in touch with the agency, there was no response.

Shangguan's post was one of the top trending items on Weibo on Friday, drawing thousands of comments.

"This (surrogacy) has always existed in secret. Where there is demand, there will be such behaviour," wrote a Weibo user called Xiongzai.

Chengdu's Wuhou District Health Bureau said it attached "great importance" to the surrogacy situation and was investigating the relevant medical institutions. "Once verified, it will be seriously dealt with in accordance with laws and regulations," it said.

"There is nothing we can do if the country does not legislate it," said another user Xiaoxi.

(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Jamie Freed)