Latest news with #ShangguanZhengyi
NDTV
20-05-2025
- NDTV
Surrogacy Racket, Exploiting Chinese Speech-Impaired, Disabled Women, Busted
Authorities have launched an investigation into a surrogacy racket in a Chinese village where speech-impaired and disabled women were used as surrogate mothers. Anti-trafficking activist Shangguan Zhengyi exposed the racket on May 12. Zhengyi spent days observing a suspicious cottage in Changsha, Hunan province, central China, before alerting the authorities, the South China Morning Post reported. A three-story residential building reportedly served as the headquarters for the racket. During their raid, police found 16 hospital beds used for treatments related to surrogacy. The first floor served as the primary operating centre and housed the operating room, laboratory, and patient wards. The building's windows were all covered with blue film so that no one could see what was happening inside, the report added. The operating area was equipped with shelves that held needles and other specialised tools and equipment for surgical procedures like embryo transfer and egg retrieval. Several vehicles, including an unlicensed white van, were parked near the entrance. The vehicles were assumed to have been used to carry the women. Nine women were saved during the investigation and brought to Changsha Women and Children's Health Care Hospital for medical examination. A 41-year-old speech-impaired surrogate mother from Shaanxi province informed Zhengyi via sign language that she had received 280,000 yuan (US$39,000) for an embryo transfer. Another 29-year-old Yi woman, from the southern Chinese province of Sichuan, claimed to have received 190,000 yuan (US$26,000) for an embryo transfer. Later, these women were handed over to the government officials and their family members. Local health officials announced on May 12 that the issue would be handled strictly in compliance with the law, that the facility in question had been sealed, and that the necessary staff were now under official control. The authorities also said that 18 people, including the person in charge, an anaesthesiologist, and a private hospital nurse, have been arrested for their involvement with the illegal surrogacy racket. In November 2024, a 22-year-old Chinese woman's story of being tricked into an illegal surrogacy business and then miscarrying went viral.
The Star
20-05-2025
- The Star
Chinese village at centre of illegal surrogacy probe, exploiting deaf-mute, disabled women
BEIJING (SCMP): A Chinese village at the centre of an illegal surrogacy racket in which disabled women were used as surrogate mothers has sparked public outrage and an official probe. The racket was exposed on May 12 by an anti-trafficking activist called Shangguan Zhengyi, who has more than 424,000 followers on social media. The activist alerted the authorities after spending several days monitoring a suspicious cottage in Changsha, Hunan province, central China. Police raided the property and discovered 16 hospital beds set up for surrogacy-related procedures. Nine women, including surrogate mothers and egg donors, were found inside the facility. One of the surrogate mothers, a 41-year-old deaf woman, from Shaanxi province in northwestern China, used sign language and told Shangguan that she had undergone an embryo transfer for which she was paid 280,000 yuan (US$39,000). She said intermediaries had brought her to the facility, though she could not recall how long she had been there. Another woman, a 29-year-old from the Yi ethnic minority originally from Sichuan province in southwestern China, said she underwent an embryo transfer for 190,000 yuan (US$26,000). She said that the procedure was performed without anaesthesia, but claimed she felt no pain. The racket was run out of a three-storey residential building. The first floor served as the main operational hub and included an operating room, a laboratory, and patient wards. The operating room was fitted with shelves which were stocked with medical tools and equipment, including syringes, and other specialised devices used for procedures such as egg retrieval and embryo transfer. All the windows of the building were covered with blue film to prevent anyone from seeing what was going on inside. Several cars were parked at the entrance, including an unlicensed white van which is believed to have been used to transport the women. During the investigation, a total of nine women were rescued and taken to the Changsha Women and Children Health Care Hospital for medical assessment. They were later released into the care of government officials and their families. At present, China does not have a specific law that outright bans surrogacy, but various government regulations prohibit the practice. On May 12, local health authorities reported that the facility involved had been sealed, relevant staff had been placed under official control, and the case would be handled in strict accordance with the law. The authorities have also confirmed the detention of 18 individuals linked to the surrogacy ring, including the person in charge, an anaesthesiologist, and a nurse from a private hospital. Later, Shangguan received a call from a man claiming to be in charge of the surrogacy operation, who offered to meet him and said: 'Whatever requests you have, I will fulfil them.' Shangguan angrily responded: 'How dare you exploit disabled people? Do you have any humanity left?' The case, reported by Elephant News, has sparked condemnation across mainland social media platforms. 'Even disabled individuals were involved. This is completely beyond the boundaries of morality,' one commenter wrote. Another person said: 'Is there a flow of illicit benefits behind this? The big boss must be thoroughly investigated and severely punished.' - South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Chinese village at centre of illegal surrogacy probe, exploiting deaf-mute, disabled women
A Chinese village at the centre of an illegal surrogacy racket in which disabled women were used as surrogate mothers has sparked public outrage and an official probe. The racket was exposed on May 12 by an anti-trafficking activist called Shangguan Zhengyi, who has more than 424,000 followers on social media. The activist alerted the authorities after spending several days monitoring a suspicious cottage in Changsha, Hunan province, central China. Police raided the property and discovered 16 hospital beds set up for surrogacy-related procedures. The sophisticated racket included a fully equipped operating theatre and a private nurse. Photo: Baidu Nine women, including surrogate mothers and egg donors, were found inside the facility.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
China village at centre of illegal surrogacy probe, some proxy mums being deaf-mute, disabled
A Chinese village at the centre of an illegal surrogacy racket in which disabled women were used as surrogate mothers has sparked public outrage and an official probe. Advertisement The racket was exposed on May 12, by an anti-trafficking activist called Shangguan Zhengyi who has more than 424,000 followers on social media. The activist alerted the authorities after spending several days monitoring a suspicious cottage in Changsha, Hunan province, central China. Police raided the property and discovered 16 hospital beds set up for surrogacy-related procedures. The sophisticated racket included a fully equipped operating theatre and a private nurse. Photo: Baidu Nine women, including surrogate mothers and egg donors, were found inside the facility.
South China Morning Post
31-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
Shock as teen surrogate gives birth to twins for Chinese man, 50, receives US$124,000
A 17-year-old girl from China's Yi minority acted as a surrogate mother and egg provider for a 50-year-old man who allegedly paid her more than 900,000 yuan (US$124,000) to conceive twin boys. Advertisement The alleged arrangement has sparked widespread public outrage. The scandal surfaced on March 24 when Shangguan Zhengyi, an anti-trafficking activist, revealed on social media that a Yi minority teenage girl became a surrogate mother through an agency in the southern city of Guangzhou and gave birth to twins. The online post said that the girl, from Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, southwestern China, who was born in May 2007, delivered male twins on February 2, in southern China's Guangdong province. The father of the twins is a 50-year-old man, surnamed Long, from Jiangxi province in southeastern China. Twin boys, like the one above, were delivered by the teenager in February this year. The girl was only 16 years old when the embryo was implanted.
