From Double Motherhood to Surrogacy. Anthropology of Kinship, Gender and Globalization in Contemporary Urban China

Using reproductive medicine is not a recent practice in China. While authorized artificial insemination and In Vitro fertilization have become common practice, the commercialization of gametes and surrogacy remains officially prohibited. However, an underground market of agencies and medical establishments has emerged in major cities, responding to the growing demands from the LGBTQ+ community and heterosexual couples who have lost their only child. How do the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) and the surrogacy market operate in China? Why do some Chinese intended parents, when pursuing surrogacy abroad, anticipate having mixed-race children? How do these new reproductive practices challenge the traditional system of patrilineality and the conception of parenthood? As China experienced its first demographic decline in 2022 for the past sixty years, policies related to ARTs have gradually relaxing in recent years. How does this demographic challenge influence the political and legal development related to reproductive technologies? What kinds of ethical, legal, kinship, and gender issues are associated with surrogacy and ARTs in China, and how do they differ from those in European and American societies?This project delves into the realm of ARTs and surrogacy in China, an unexplored area within the anthropology of contemporary kinship, primarily founded on European and American societies. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that combines anthropology, law, history and literature, this endeavor aims to enhance our understanding of Chinese modernity, contribute to a shift in anthropological knowledge about contemporary kinship, and shed light on the construction of bioethics and reproductive medicine laws in China. These insights may offer valuable reference points for other regions and countries, particularly in Europe, where ARTs remain contentious topics in public and political discussions.