DNA identification has become increasingly popular in the country, especially in southern China's port city of Shenzhen.

Despite the relatively high price of 1,300 per person, the number of Shenzhen people who seek DNA identification has increased 50 percent per year since 2001, according to a report in the Guangzhou Daily.

Currently, about 80 to 90 percent of the applications are made by ordinary Chinese parents, while others are made by judicial departments. A large portion of the applicants -- more than 1,000 over the past four years -- are from Hong Kong or Macao.

Illegitimate children are the traditional reason in China for using DNA identification, which can verify fatherhood. This still accounts for 30 to 50 percent of all cases. Mistrust between couples is another rising major reason to apply for the DNA identification, with many husbands apparently not trusting that their children are in fact theirs. But 80 percent of those doubts turn out to be wrong, according to the report.

Increasing premarital sex is thought of as the major cause of the popularity of DNA identification in the city, which has a large number of immigrants and a location near Hong Kong and Macao, said Lin Jingzhong, director of one of three local official DNA identification centers.

"The number of applicants is expected to rise in the future with the further opening up of China's DNA identification practices," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 27, 2004)