Surrogate motherhood and its critics
Society & Culture
Top society and culture news for February 6, 2017. Part of the daily The China Project news roundup "Chinese troops in Afghanistan."
-
The People’s Daily urges “non-commercial surrogate motherhood” / People’s Daily (in Chinese)
On Friday, the People’s Daily published an article arguing for a relaxation of regulations on “non-commercial surrogate motherhood” because infertility is a common problem for many Chinese people, especially older couples who want to have a second child under the new birth policy. According to the article, of the roughly 90 million Chinese couples who are eligible to have a second child, 60 percent of wives are over 35 years old, and 50 percent are over 40. People’s Daily also launched a poll on the social media site Weibo to ask readers’ opinions, but the poll was removed after attracting large waves of online criticism. Comments included “The government has no sense of shame at all in encouraging families to have more babies” and “What does non-commercial surrogacy mean? Who is willing to do this if not for money?” -
Rong Jian on thought and scholarship in China / The China Story
Rong Jian 荣剑 was a Ph.D. candidate in Marxist philosophy at Renmin University in Beijing in 1989. His academic career was derailed by the tumult of that year, and he became a businessman. In 2010, he began publishing essays on society, philosophy, and the place of intellectuals in China. His latest essay is provocatively titled “A China Bereft of Thought.” The link above connects to an introduction and translation of the essay by the scholar Gloria Davies.
- Chinese doctor’s dash underlines private healthcare challenges / Financial Times (paywall)
- The world is eating Chinese caviar (and doesn’t know it) / That’s Beijing
- Fashioning a revival of ancient Chinese attire / Straits Times
- In pictures: Millions of Chinese workers return to work after New Year celebrations / SCMP
