BEIJING, Dec 5 - China, the only country that still systematically takes organs from executed prisoners for use in transplant operations, plans to end the controversial practice from next month, a local newspaper said on Friday. The government has over the last year flagged plans to end the practice, which has drawn criticism from rights groups, who have accused authorities of taking many organs without consent from prisoners or their families, a claim Beijing has denied. The official China Daily said that human organ transplants will from Jan. 1 rely on voluntary public donations and on donations from living relatives. "Harvesting organs from executed prisoners for transplants is controversial, despite written consent being required from donors and their relatives," Huang Jiefu, head of the China Organ Donation Committee, was quoted as saying. "The Chinese government has always been resolute in making efforts to end such a practice," added Huang, a former vice health minister. "Donations by the public should be the only source of organs for transplants." Supply of human organs falls far short of demand in China, due in part to a traditional belief that bodies should be buried or cremated intact. An estimated 300,000 patients are wait-listed every year for organ transplants, and only about one in 30 ultimately receives a transplant. That shortage has fuelled the illegal trade in organs, and in 2007 the government banned transplants from living donors, except for spouses, blood relatives and step- or adopted family members. "The most severely ill get donations under the system, regardless of their social status and wealth," Huang said. "Judicial departments are not entitled to decide where the organ donations go." China does not publish the numbers of people it executes, though the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, a grouping of more than 150 non-government bodies, bar associations and other groups, estimates it was about 3,000 last year.
More
School in central Vietnam asks students who refuse to join field trip to scrape moss off fence
The fee for attending the trip was VND350,000 (US$14.1) per student
Read more
Australia tightens student visa rules as migration hits record high
Australia will begin enforcing tougher visa rules for foreign students this week as official data showed migration hit another record high, which is likely to further exacerbate an already tight rental market
1 week agoWinning Mega Millions ticket for $1.13 bln jackpot sold in New Jersey
Mega Millions said a single ticket for a lottery jackpot worth a hefty $1.13 billion, the fifth-largest prize in the game's history, was sold in New Jersey, breaking a streak of 30 consecutive unclaimed drawings
1 day agoDivers to search Baltimore Harbor for six presumed dead in bridge collapse
The disaster also forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard
1 day agoBig hotel chains and unbranded-hotel owners find they need each other
Independent hotel operators and giant global chains are increasingly linking up in franchise agreements as high-interest rates have slammed the hospitality industry, slowing down new hotel construction
3 days agoSWIFT planning launch of new central bank digital currency platform in 12-24 months
Around 90% of the world's central banks are now exploring digital versions of their currencies
3 days agoHighlights
School in central Vietnam asks students who refuse to join field trip to scrape moss off fence
The fee for attending the trip was VND350,000 (US$14.1) per student
Photos
Artist paints murals on house to raise awareness of COVID-19 prevention in Hanoi
He drew the virus, vaccine, and earth on the exterior walls of a house
Latest news
Canadian Minister sees Vietnam as key partner
Minister Ng affirmed that the potential for the cooperation between Vietnam and Canada remains huge
Planned establishment of ‘single ladies market’ in southern Vietnam arouses controversy
Many social media users are puzzled over what exactly the market is and what kinds of goods it sells
School in central Vietnam asks students who refuse to join field trip to scrape moss off fence
The fee for attending the trip was VND350,000 (US$14.1) per student
Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – March 29
Good morning from Vietnam!
Japanese volunteers promote tourism across Vietnam
Currently, there are seven volunteers operating in tourist destinations across the country, namely Da Nang, Da Lat, and Can Tho
Vietnam’s Dong Nai lays foundation stone to restore Long Hoa Pagoda
After three years of renovation, the pagoda will have five storeys
Vietnam asks vessels with Vietnamese on board to avoid passing through Red Sea
Tensions in the Red Sea are escalating
2 Chinese men arrested for attempting to illegally send 21 Vietnamese to Laos
The cost of illegal exit was set at 280 Chinese yuan (US$38.7) per person
A glimpse of location set for future night quarter in Ho Chi Minh City
Binh Tay Market, a renowned architectural relic and tourist attraction in the city, will spotlight the night quarter
Renovation underway at abandoned downtown park in Vietnam’s Nghe An
Park-goers in recent years discovered that the play zone and some other facilities of the park became deserted and aging