BEIJING – A 28-year-old woman who served as a surrogate mother in Chengdu, southwest China, was reportedly abandoned by her surrogacy agency, fueling a wave of criticism on social media and prompting health authorities to investigate the situation.

Surrogacy is illegal in China and authorities said in 2023 they would “severely crack down” on illegal activities related to the use of assisted reproductive technologies such as buying or selling sperm or eggs and surrogacy.

China is trying to increase its birth rate after its the population decreased for the second year in a row in 2023.

The country’s State Council this week detailed 13 measures aimed at building a birth-friendly society and increasing the country’s fertility rate.

In this case, the surrogate mother, who was not named, had received an embryo transplant three months earlier but showed no early signs of pregnancy, according to a post on social media platform Weibo by Shangguan Zhengyi, who tracks surrogacy cases nationwide.

The woman was sent home by the surrogacy agency, but later discovered she was pregnant, Shangguan said.

When she tried to contact the agency, she received no response.

Shangguan’s post was one of the top trending posts on Weibo on October 31, attracting thousands of comments.

“This (GPA) has always existed in secret. Where there is demand, there will be such behavior,” wrote a Weibo user called Xiongzai.

Chengdu’s Wuhou District Health Bureau said it attached “great importance” to the surrogacy situation and was investigating relevant medical institutions.

“Once verified, this matter will be seriously handled in accordance with laws and regulations,” he added.

“We can’t do anything if the country doesn’t legislate,” said another user, Xiaoxi. REUTERS