Not following the lead of countries like Costa Rica and the United States, who have virtually eliminated all sorts of cloning, China this week laid out guidelines forbidding research on human cloning for reproduction purposes, but still allowing cloning on embryonic stem cells and remedial cloning.

The Ministry of Science of Technology and Ministry of Health issued the Guidelines for Research on Human Embryonic Stem Cells, which appear similar to guidelines set forward by nations like France, Britain, and Japan. Those countries also allow limited technology research into stem cells.

Sources say that the United Nations will issue a protocol to ban human cloning in November 2004. How that will affect China's current policies has yet to be determined.