BEIJING - China on Wednesday officially launched a website that provides information on organ donation and allows people to register as donors.

The website, operated by the China Organ Donation Administrative Center, will be linked to local administrative offices and Red Cross societies.

In order to cope with organ shortages, the State Council issued a regulation on organ transplantation in 2007 and a pilot program was set up in 2010. A total of 1,611 people have successfully donated their organs for treatment of 4,382 patients since then.

"Although China has made progress in recent years, the country still faces a critical shortage of organs," said Zhao Baige, executive vice president of the Red Cross Society of China.

According to Zhao, China has 300,000 patients in need of organ transplantation each year while only about 10,000 people can receive such operations. However, the supply and demand ratio is one to three in developed countries such as the United States.

Zhao said that China is making efforts to improve policies and increase financial support in order to legalize and standardize organ donation.

The public can visit www.china-organdonation.org.cn for more information.