There are no reliable and up-to-date public statistics for China’s surrogacy industry. A 2015 draft revision of China’s Population and Family Planning Law contained language that explicitly outlawed surrogacy, but it was later removed in the final version. In China, the surrogacy industry exists in a gray zone: It is neither prohibited nor permitted under Chinese law. Many of the available sources are consultants themselves, who are actively trying to sell their own services. Surrogacy is not explicitly legal in the country, and increasing censorship of LGBTQIA content on the Chinese internet means prospective parents find it difficult to access reliable information online. Gao is one of many LGBTQIA prospective parents in China who are turning to online surrogacy services to have children. They started at around $90,000 for a guaranteed pregnancy, and went up for more specialized services that allowed clients to choose the baby’s gender, ethnicity, and nationality. Gao, who asked to use a pseudonym as he is not out at his workplace, told Rest of World the consultants sent him prices for different packages. Soon, Gao was exchanging messages with more than a dozen agents from surrogacy companies, who called themselves “reproductive consultants.” Their accounts had profile pictures of airbrushed corporate headshots and rainbow-covered cartoon bunnies. He started his journey online, joining WeChat groups for LGBTQIA prospective parents, where members asked questions and offered recommendations, and surrogacy companies advertised their services. Shortly after Gao Zhiyi and his boyfriend moved into their new two-bedroom apartment in Beijing last year, he started thinking about having kids.
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