Four Chinese law-enforcement departments have jointly issued a circular to further protect the rights of children and women, making the sale of one's child a crime.

Parents who sell their own children for profit are in violation of laws designed to prevent the trafficking of women and children, the circular said.

But the circular recognized that some parents give away their babies because they cannot afford to raise the child or because they would prefer a boy rather than a girl, and such acts are not to be considered trafficking of women and children.

The circular also clarifies the charges the buyers of children and women may face.

The circular, released by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Security, was published on the website of the Public Security Ministry Friday.