Harvesting executed prisoners' organs to end on Jan 1

China's long-term dependence on executed prisoners as organ donors will end at the start of next year, according to a high-ranking official.

Human organ transplants will rely on voluntary public donations from Jan1, HuangJiefu, director of the China Organ Donation Committee and a former vice-minister of health, said on Wednesday.

Living organ donations by relatives will still be allowed, Huang said at a conference in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province.