Chinese Couples Come to U.S. to Have Children Through Surrogacy

Americans have long gone to China to adopt babies. In a twist, Chinese couples are now coming here to become parents — through surrogacy.

China does not permit surrogate parenting, but that country's rising affluence has given many couples the option of coming to U.S. surrogacy clinics. California, with its large Chinese American community and its courts' liberal attitude toward surrogacy, is a prime destination.

Jerry Zhu and Grace Sun of Beijing have so far saved $60,000 toward the expected $100,000 cost of surrogate birth. They hope to come to Los Angeles later this year for the procedure.

"It's going to be expensive," said Zhu, who manages a furniture factory. "But if we have a child it will complete the family. We are hoping for a son."

U.S. and Chinese authorities say they do not track the numbers of Chinese couples coming here for surrogacy services, but surrogacy experts and clinic operators say there has been a sharp upswing.

"In the last year, it went from nonexistent to being tremendous," said Parham Zar, managing director of the Egg Donor &...