Rich Chinese seek American surrogate mothers

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Rich Chinese seek American surrogate mothers

(China.org.cn) 08:53, October 31, 2013

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Hearing the one-year old toddler Binbin mumbling “papa,” Jiang Ning (pseudonym) experienced mixed feelings.

Jiang has never told anyone about the birth of his son. Though he and his wife are Binbin's parents, the baby was carried by a surrogate mother -- a white American woman who Jiang paid for the service.

Such surrogate mothers have another person's embryo transplanted into their womb and later give birth to the child.

Jiang paid around US$300,000 for the service. Surrogacy is illegal in China and the average cost can vary between US$100,000 to US$300,000 in the U.S, which is a considerable burden for an average Chinese family. It is considered a privilege of the wealthy.

"We have had an average of four to five Chinese customers every month over the last couple of years," an employee of the China office of an American surrogacy agency told China's Legal Weekend.

There is an increasing demand for American surrogate mothers among the rich Chinese, including business people and celebrities in the entertainment industry.

Though some resort to surrogacy due to fertility problems or to evade China's one-child policy, many of them have set their sights on the benefits of an American Green Card.

Agencies handle everything

Jiang Ning and his wife decided to look for a surrogate mother in the U.S because his wife has problems giving birth, and surrogacy is legal in many U.S. states and they also provide high quality service.

The couple chose an agency with over 20 years of experience, located in Los Angeles, California. California is a favorite state for Chinese, as it has a sound legal system.

The agency gave the couple both a physical examination, and then began searching for a surrogate mother.

The couple was concerned about everything to do with the mother; her height, education, employment, salary and living habits. After interviewing three women, they made their decision.