Ever since the world’s first “test-tube” baby was born in 1978, the use of human embryos in research has become highly controversial ethically and thus created a significant challenge for jurisdictions, especially in Europe and the United States, to determine the relevant policies (Poplawski and Gillett, 1991). To resolve the dispute and responsibly promote human embryonic research, the 14-day rule, which prohibits culturing human embryos in vitro beyond 14 days or the onset of primitive streak, was proposed over 40 years ago (Hyun et al., 2016). This rule has become a widely accepted bioethical norm and has been introduced into laws or guidelines by many jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and China (Matthews et al., 2020). However, recent scientific advancements and policy debates have put this rule under increasing strain. Particularly, the major revision to the 14-day rule proposed by the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) latest updated guidelines has fuelled heated debates and raised concerns worldwide (International Society for Stem Cell Research, 2021).

    For China, whose scientific concerns, traditional culture, and religion are largely different from the West, the debates and challenges are different and somewhat unique. Thus, it is essential to present a responsible and coordinated way, suitable for Chinese ethical and cultural values and public acceptance, to cope with the potential adjustment of the 14-day rule and to promote the development of the entire embryo research endeavor in China. We first explore recent advances in embryonic and pertinent research fields that directly or indirectly challenge the 14-day rule. Within this context, we then evaluate the overall ethical controversies worldwide and the recent public debate on the 14-day rule in China. Separately, we discuss China’s regulatory framework for human embryo research, including the 14-day rule. On this basis, we lastly provide an essential coordinated framework and strategies to deal with the possible changes to the 14-day rule based on China-specific conditions. We hope that this discussion helps both China and other countries establish a framework of mutual respect, win-win cooperation, and responsibility for future embryo research.