On February 25, 2013, Huang Jiefu, China’s Vice Minister of Health, spoke at a conference where he stated that China is the only country that systematically uses organs from executed prisoners.
According to Beijing Youth Daily, Huang stated, “For a long time, China has relied on executed prisoners as a primary source for organ transplants. Although the law provides that prisoners on death row may ‘voluntarily donate organs,’ there are loopholes in the implementation of the law. China is the only country in the world that systematically uses the organs of executed prisoners. This is not commensurate with China’s status as a major political power and a civilized country. Because an organ donation system has not been established at the national level, the organ transplantation industry has had many problems. The international hostile forces exaggerate this matter (the use of organs from executed prisoners), and attack our country’s human rights and civilization. They react negatively to all the reports about organ transplants in China and their principle is not to accept, nor publish, nor cooperate …”
Source: Beijing Youth Daily reprinted by Legal Daily, February 26, 2013 http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index/content/2013-02/26/content_4223855.htm?node=20908