Couple to pay steep fine for breaking family-planning policy

A wealthy couple will have to pay a fine of up to 10 million yuan ($1.61 million) for violating China's family planning policy.

The couple was found to give birth to octuplets in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, two years ago. The children were noticed in a housing estate in the city's Panyu district shortly after they were born.

"Apart from the triplets the mother delivered, the couple was found through a thorough investigation to have sought another two surrogate mothers to give birth to twins and another to triplets," Zhang told media on Friday.

The couple refused to discuss how they found the surrogate mothers or discuss them in detail, Zhang said.

"Family-planning departments will soon collect ‘social children support payments' from the couple," Zhang said.

According to applicable laws and family planning regulations, the couple will have to pay up to 10 million yuan if they are found to have an annual income of more than 1 million yuan, he added.

The couple had once been farmers in a village in Zhaoqing city in the western part of Guangdong province.

Their hukou, or official household registration, are still for Zhaoqing, Zhang said.