Parents who beg with their underage children may be deprived of their parental guardianship under a new regulation to protect street children's rights and interests adopted in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

The government can file an appeal to cancel parents' guardianship if they are caught begging with their children under the new regulation, Guangzhou Daily reported.

The city government passed the regulation, which strengthens protection and rescue work for strayed minors, on Monday, the report said.

Since August 2003, the city's rescue services have tackled 14,992 cases involving strayed minors, according to the Guangzhou's civil affairs bureau.

Yi Lihua, deputy director of the bureau, told the paper that the regulation aims to guide NGOs and volunteers in helping strayed children, and she called on such associations to report cases through instant messaging services, including micro blogs and hotlines.