On December 13th, renowned anti-human trafficking volunteer Shangguan Zhengyi revealed on his social media account that a surrogacy agency in Hefei City, Anhui Province, colluded with medical and public officials to conduct underground egg retrieval and embryo cultivation, and sell birth certificates. The egg donors are reported to be female students from top Chinese universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University. Additionally, the illegal operation involves personnel from the public security bureau as well.
Shangguan Zhengyi’s report disclosed that behind the scenes of this surrogacy agency in Hefei, Anhui, is boss Zhang, who runs Anhui Youming Medical Technology Co., Ltd under the guise of medical consultations and reproductive health services. The agency conducts illegal surrogacy activities in Feidong County, Hefei, performing egg retrieval and embryo implantation surgeries, while also selling birth certificates.
According to insider information, it was mentioned in the report that a relative of boss Zhang, who is involved in the surrogacy agency, works at the police department of Zhumadian, Henan Province.
Shangguan Zhengyi further shared that the illegal egg retrieval procedures take place on the third floor of a villa in Feidong County, Hefei. The villa has four stories in total, with the surgery room located on the third floor accessible only by an elevator from the underground garage. The transportation vehicles for egg donors and surrogates are reported to be a black Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle.
Insiders revealed that the doctors at the surgery room are professionals from a hospital who perform egg retrieval and transplantation surgeries for Zhang’s company, earning a monthly salary of 250,000 RMB. The surgery room reportedly has a steady flow of operations on a daily basis.
Contracts provided by the surrogacy agency indicate that the total cost for a full surrogacy process, from signing to selecting donors to the surrogate giving birth, is 800,000 RMB. For donors from top universities like Tsinghua and Peking, the cost can go up to 1.5 million RMB.
Boss Zhang mentioned that donors can be customized based on the client’s preferences regarding education, appearance, blood type, and height, with prices varying accordingly. The starting price for donors from top universities is 200,000 RMB, with fees going up significantly for prestigious universities like Tsinghua, potentially reaching 900,000 RMB.
Regarding the verification of donors’ credentials, Zhang mentioned the use of online platforms like the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Information Verification Center to confirm identities, along with the option of conducting DNA testing offline.
Zhang stated that egg donors must be aged between 18 and 25, while surrogates should be above 25 years old or around 35 years old, with a healthy history of natural deliveries. The agency also maintains strict requirements and management for surrogates, providing specialized teams for their daily needs.
Insiders noted that during the final stages of pregnancy, surrogates are transferred to designated cooperative hospitals for delivery, with doctors’ signatures facilitating the issuance of birth certificates.
In his final remarks, Shangguan Zhengyi mentioned difficulties in reporting the illegal activities to the authorities, receiving delayed responses. Despite the exposure of these underground surrogacy practices, he faced online attacks and insults.
This incident sheds light on the thriving black market of surrogacy in China, despite the Chinese authorities claiming to prohibit such practices. With the declining population growth in China, the underground surrogacy industry continues to prosper under the strict government regulations.
According to Caixin Weekly, the underground surrogacy industry in China has grown significantly, with over 100 companies providing surrogacy services in a single city and nearly ten being large-scale enterprises. The estimated number of companies offering surrogacy services nationwide could be around 1000.