The top health authority has rejected media reports suggesting China will legalize surrogacy in five to 10 years and pledged to continue to crack down on the illegal procedure in line with laws and regulations.

A report in the Beijing Times on Tuesday quoted a reproductive medical expert as saying the country will legalize surrogacy within five to 10 years.

To prepare, the Ministry of Health is currently consulting experts in medicine, law and sociology on the issue of surrogacy, said Qiao Jie, president of the Third Hospital of Peking University, according to the Beijing Times.