"It's not bad for people to at least have the option of becoming a potential organ donor," she said. "And the chances (that they will donate organs) are quite slim."

China has set itself goals of ensuring that organ transplants inside the country are performed safely and that the lives of more people who are awaiting the medical procedure are saved. To those ends, the country last year established a donation system aimed at making it easier for people to agree to give away their organs should they die.

So far, 49 organ donations have occurred under the fledging system, according to Deng.

In another development, Deng said the ministry would soon issue new standards mandating that salt in China be iodized.

The amount of iodine required will vary from region to region in accordance with local circumstances, he said.

Previous reports blamed a rise in diseases related to hyperthyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, on the consumption of too much iodine, especially in iodine-rich places.

Deng dismissed the reports, saying the majority of the population in China is not ingesting too much iodine.