HONG KONG is to have its first sex selection baby, the controversial Gender Choice Centre has revealed exclusively to the Sunday Morning Post.
But the centre is keeping the couple's personal details a closely guarded secret as part of client confidentiality.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of heavy criticism from politicians in Britain, where the centre's London clinic has had four successful births this month.
Members of Parliament last week called for a ban on all medical treatments which allowed parents to choose the sex of their child.
Describing gender selection as ''distorting population patterns'' and ''playing with human destiny'', critics in the territory say the Government must immediately form a body to monitor and control scientifically-assisted human reproduction.
The Gender Choice Centre opened its doors to the Hong Kong community in November and had been inundated with inquiries. Operating from offices in Wyndham Street, Central, it has more than 60 couples of mixed nationalities on its client list.
''We recorded our first pregnancy in Hong Kong at the end of February,'' a spokesman for the centre said. ''All information on any couple is confidential and it will be entirely up to them if they want to speak out after the birth.'' If all goes to plan the baby will be born at the end of November. But Meeting Point legislator Dr Leong Che-hung expressed concern there were no laws governing the operation of the organisation.
He has been fighting for five years to persuade the Government to introduce legislation to control and monitor such practices.
''Because there is no legislation to deal with this, any Tom, Dick or Harry could set up a business like this,'' said Dr Leong, chairman of the Scientifically-Assisted Human Reproduction Committee.
''We have to look at the moral, legal and social issues involved with scientific reproduction and the Gender Choice Centre falls within these categories.''
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