Chinese investigators have determined that the doctor behind the reported birth of two babies whose genes had been edited in hopes of making them resistant to the AIDS virus acted on his own and will be punished for any violations of the law. According to the Xinhua News Agency, investigators in the southern province of Guangdong found that Dr. He Jiankui organised and handled funding for the experiment without outside assistance in violation of national guidelines.

The report said, this behaviour seriously violates ethics and the integrity of scientific research, and is in serious violation of relevant national regulations.

Gene editing for reproductive purposes is effectively banned in the U.S. and most of Europe. In China, ministerial guidelines prohibit embryo research that violates ethical or moral principles. The chief of the World Health Organization said last year his agency is assembling experts to consider the health impact of gene editing.