CHINA: Police in eastern China have launched an investigation into the discovery of the bodies of eight babies in a drain near an amusement park in a town in Anhui province.
The bodies were discovered by a secondary school student who was on his way to the amusement park with his friend. The bodies of the babies are believed to have been dumped by a local hospital.
According to police the student stumbled upon the shocking find when he fell face down onto planks covering a drain at the entrance to the park.
The student saw the body of one baby in the drain through a hole in one of the planks which was 4 metres to 5 metres deep, the Hebei Evening News reported.
Police officers who were called to the scene found that the baby was covered in blankets and had a tag with the words "Bed 14, male, Zhang Fu".
The police subsequently discovered three large black plastic bags containing six more dead babies, some who were not fully formed. Another dead baby was found three hours later.
The eight bodies were sent for cremation. Police said last night they were launching a full investigation to determine which hospital was responsible.
Sources said the babies were born prematurely or with deformities and were both female and male.
In rural parts of China babies who are born with deformities are often dumped or abandoned by parents due to the one child policy. Because parents only have one chance at having a child. They then attempt to have another baby.
Taiwan said yesterday it would "study" the significant overture from China, to restart reunification talks and for stronger economic ties.
The apparent gesture of reconciliation came in a statement from the Chinese Vice-Premier, Mr Qian Qichen, who signalled a softening of Beijing's position by saying only a small number of the Taiwan's ruling pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members were separatists.
The move was another in a series from China aimed at warming ties with the US in advance of the summit meeting in Beijing between President Bush and China's President, Mr Jiang Zemin, on February 21st.