Speaking on Hong Kong's possibly first surrogacy arrangement, Professor Gerhold Becker, director of the Baptist University's centre for applied ethics, asked how children would feel if they found out their parents had conceived them by advertising and paying money.
Well, if I found that out, I would be even more grateful to my parents than I now am. Moreover, parents who go to that much trouble are likely to need and love their children even more than the average.
On the 'renting out of wombs', I would be willing to rent out even my brain and heart if it was for the happiness of people and did not significantly harm me.
I accept that money is not everything; love and happiness are far more important. It is also true that some care like adequate counselling should be given before allowing surrogacy.
However, prohibiting all commercial surrogacies may be too hasty a move, as it denies possible happiness to many who desperately need it.
NG YEW-KWANG Professor of Economics The Chinese University of Hong Kong
