A recent surge in infertility rate has caused the new problem of illegal infant surrogacy in China.
According to Shanghai's China Business News, a crackdown has been instigated this month with the aim to stop the problem altogether.
The infertility rate in the country has reached an all-time high in 2015. Statistics have shown that the 1-3 percent rate of infertility in the 1970s has skyrocketed to 10 percent today, even reaching 18 percent in some areas.
There are two environmental aspects that can be blamed for the infertility issue. One is the widespread use of toxic pesticides in crops. Studies have shown that consumption of fruits and vegetables doused with these chemicals prove to lower fertility rates. Severe air, water and soil pollution also has an effect on the health and well-being of a woman's reproductive organ.
Furthermore, the recent trend of marrying much later in life has been said to have an effect on the diminishing birth rate. Chinese women, who used to get married and start a family in their mid-20's, wait until their late 20's to early 30's before they think about bearing children. This gives them a smaller time frame for having an offspring.
Another reason for the problem plaguing China is the high abortion rate. A local report has indicated that most women who cannot conceive later in life have had the procedure done.
The infertility issue goes beyond the problem of illegal child surrogacy. China's population of over a billion people is composed mostly of retirees, 65 year old and above.
This aging population and decrease in birth rate would eventually affect the labor force and then the economy of the nation, according to the article.