BEIJING - China has never given approval to any hospital to offer performance-enhancing stem-cell therapy, an official with the Ministry of Health said here on Thursday.

The official made the remarks in response to a German TV report that some Chinese hospitals offer what is described as performance-enhancing gene therapy treatment.

"China has never allowed medical institutions or staff to provide stem-cell therapy aimed at improving athletes' performance," he said.

Any medical institution or medical worker doing so will be severely punished under the law, he said.

The official also said that he welcomed media scrutiny and clues to help the government's anti-doping efforts.