A foreign media report claiming that the organs of executed prisoners are being traded in China has been branded as "irresponsible" by China's Health Ministry spokesman Mao Qun’an.

The foreign media had fabricated the report to attack the Chinese legal system, said Mao at a press conference. The report failed to mention the efforts made by the Chinese government to strengthen the regulation of organ transplants, Mao explained.

The Ministry of Health said earlier this year in response to similar foreign media reports that the majority of organs in China were voluntarily donated by ordinary citizens and a small number came from executed criminals who voluntarily signed organ donation forms.

It's estimated that annually two million Chinese require transplants but only 20,000 operations are conducted because of a shortage of organs.

Buying and selling of human organs was banned in China when a new regulation came into effect on July 1. Strict rules have also been imposed on human organ transplants in response to fierce overseas criticism about China's involvement in this aspect of medical treatment. 

The ministry is also drafting new rules to make organ donation easier for people. This will standardize organ donation procedures and encourage people to become donors.

With approximately 5,000 transplants carried-out each year China is second in the world to the United States for such operations.  .

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2006)