China stops allowing foreigners to adopt children, US concerned

An American couple adopted an orphan in Wuhan (Hubei province, China).

FOX NEWS SCREENSHOT

Fox News reported on September 6 that the Chinese government has ended its international adoption program, prompting the US to consider how the decision will affect hundreds of American families awaiting approval to adopt children from China.

American families have adopted 82,674 children from China, more than any other country.

At a daily press conference on September 5, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said the country will no longer allow foreigners to adopt children, except in cases where blood relatives adopt children or stepchildren of their spouses.

The spokesman did not offer any explanation other than to say the decision was in line with the spirit of relevant international treaties.

In a call with US diplomats in China, Beijing said it "will not continue to process cases at any time" except under regulatory exceptions.

The US State Department said the US Embassy in Beijing is seeking a written explanation from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs. "We understand that there are still hundreds of families waiting to complete their adoptions and we sympathize with their plight," the State Department said in a statement.

Over the decades, many people have adopted children from China, picking them up and taking them to a new home abroad.

China suspended international adoptions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The government later resumed adoptions for children who had been approved before the suspension in 2020, the US State Department said.

In January, Denmark's only international adoption agency said it was closing operations after concerns about fraudulent procedures and documentation. That same month, Norway's top regulator recommended a two-year suspension of international adoptions pending an investigation into some cases.

China's decision comes after the country's birth rate fell to 9.02 million in 2023 and its total population fell for the second consecutive year last year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-ngung-cho-nguoi-nuoc-ngoai-nhan-con-nuoi-my-quan-ngai-185240906085357509.htm