By Chen Jing, Vision Times
In recent months, a Chinese medical aesthetics influencer has drawn widespread attention by openly promoting what she described as a “20-million-yuan-per-injection rejuvenation blood treatment.” In livestreams and short videos, she marketed so-called “youth blood” or “rejuvenation therapy,” claiming that biological components extracted from the blood of young males aged 17 to 21, such as “micro-vesicles” and so-called “youth proteins,” could be injected into wealthy clients to slow aging.
The claims immediately sparked a fundamental public question: Where would such a vast and continuous supply of blood originate?
That question resurfaced amid renewed scrutiny of Cambodia’s underground industries following recent Thai–Cambodian military tensions. Cambodia has long been linked to telecom fraud operations and human trafficking networks, including the notorious “KK Park compounds.”
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Links to Cambodia’s ‘Life Science Institute’
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In recent weeks, anti-fraud bloggers and independent media outlets have exposed what they describe as a so-called “Life Science Institute” in Phnom Penh, rumored to be connected to the sanctioned Prince Group. According to circulating claims, the site is not merely a fraud compound but may also be linked to far darker forms of human biological trade.
Unverified allegations include forced surrogacy, baby trafficking, and chilling claims that spinal fluid was extracted from infants for use as stem cell material. While these allegations remain unproven, they have drawn widespread alarm across Chinese-language social media.
Against this backdrop, remarks by mainland figure Yu Wenhong, who has publicly claimed that her activities are “legal within China,” have taken on renewed significance. What critics say was once spoken cautiously is now being stated openly.
Sudden emergence of large-scale stem cell banks
Less than a month after allegations surrounding Cambodia’s Life Science Institute gained traction, new developments inside China have raised fresh concerns.
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Observers note that both Chongqing and Dalian have announced the establishment of large-scale stem cell resource banks. The size of these projects, combined with what critics describe as a striking lack of transparency, has fueled fears that a controversial industry chain may be returning to China under a newly “legalized” framework.
According to information published on the Chongqing municipal government website on December 3, authorities announced at the Sixth China Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Collaborative Innovation Platform Conference the establishment of China’s first national stem cell resource sub-bank.
However, investigators reviewing public records found no prior disclosure of project approval, feasibility studies, or preparatory procedures. Given that such facilities involve human genetic resources and biological security, critics argue that the absence of public consultation or transparent disclosure is deeply troubling.
‘Seeds of life’ or a source of abuse?
Scientifically, stem cells are undifferentiated “seed cells” capable of self-renewal and differentiation, often described as biological “repair tools.” They hold significant promise for treating serious diseases and regenerating damaged organs.
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Yet research also shows that cells derived from younger bodies divide more rapidly, age more slowly, and are widely considered higher quality. Critics warn that without rigorous ethical oversight, this reality creates powerful incentives to exploit minors and other vulnerable populations.
Earlier investigative reports described brutal practices allegedly tied to Cambodia’s fraud compounds. According to undercover bloggers, minors trafficked to Cambodia were reportedly treated as high-value commodities, sold for sums reaching as much as 3 million yuan to the so-called Life Science Institute.
An investigation by NTD last month noted that the institute’s website lists “newborn stem cell storage” as its primary service. Attention has now shifted back to China. While Chongqing’s new stem cell bank is framed in official and technical language, critics argue that its core functions resemble those attributed to Cambodia’s Life Science Institute.
Disturbing parallels
One detail from the official announcement has drawn particular concern: the facility reportedly already stores more than 4,000 samples of “pathological stem cells” and claims the capacity to store up to 2 million samples. Such numbers, critics argue, are staggering. Without transparent oversight, they ask where such a volume of biological material could originate and how many donors would be required to sustain it.
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Chongqing does not appear to be an isolated case. Videos circulating on platforms such as Douyin show a groundbreaking ceremony for a “Northeast Stem Cell Sub-Bank” in Dalian. With major projects emerging in both southern and northern China, observers describe the expansion as rapid, coordinated, and deeply unsettling.
News of the projects has sparked intense reaction on social media. Comment sections beneath related videos reflect mounting fear. “I’m trembling after seeing this; it sends chills down my spine,” one user wrote. Parents warned one another: “Chongqing parents, keep a close eye on your children.”
Others questioned whether the industry had simply relocated back to China after becoming too exposed in Cambodia. “Was the Cambodia operation blown open and made too visible, so now they’ve brought it back home, dressed up as a ‘high-tech biological repository’?” one commenter asked.
Why Chongqing and Dalian? Critics point to historical associations linking both cities to past controversies involving plastinated human bodies and organ transplant practices during the tenure of former official Bo Xilai.
According to this line of criticism, the industry chain did not originate in Cambodia but began in Dalian and Chongqing before shifting to Southeast Asia to evade scrutiny. Now, amid rising regional instability, it is allegedly returning to the mainland under the banner of advanced biotechnology.
Editorial note: Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Vision Times.
