China will use abortions and sterilizations "to avoid new births of inferior quality and heighten the standards of the whole population" under a new law submitted to parliament, the Xinhua news agency said Monday.
Officials presenting a Draft Law on Eugenics and Health Protection to the standing committee of the National People's Congress said, "China is in urgent need of adopting such a law to put a stop to the prevalence of abnormal births," the official agency said.Once legislation reaches this stage it is usually adopted by the rubber-stamp legislature.
"Under the draft law, those having such ailments as hepatitis, venereal disease or mental illness, which can be passed on through birth, will be banned from marrying while carrying the disease," the agency said.
"Pregnant women who have been diagnosed as having certain infectious diseases or an abnormal fetus will be advised to halt the pregnancy. Couples in the category should have themselves sterilized, the draft says," the agency added without elaboration.