A total of 25 baby hatches have been established in 10 provincial regions in China, and more will be set up in another 18 regions, the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) told Xinhua.

A baby hatch is a safe place where people can anonymously bring infants and leave them to be found and cared for. The first baby hatch in China was founded in June 2011 in Shijiazhuang, capital city of north China's Hebei Province.

A new baby hatch established during the just-concluded Spring Festival in the south China city of Guangzhou received 33 babies in its first 10 days of operation.

Li Bo, head of the CCCWA, said baby hatches can better protect babies after being abandoned and improve their survival rate.

However, baby hatches have faced some criticism, with some saying they have encouraged parents to dump their unwanted children, which is prohibited by Chinese law.

Dou Yupei, vice minister of civil affairs, said earlier at a press conference that the abandonment of babies is illegal and runs against moral values in China, but that establishing baby hatches is based on the respect for life and the priority of children's rights. Endi

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