China ends international adoptions after 30 years, cites shifting policies
text_fields
China has officially halted international adoptions, ending a policy that has facilitated the adoption of more than 160,000 Chinese children by foreign families since 1992.
The decision marks a significant shift in China's approach to adoption, rooted in its previous strict population control measures, including the one-child policy.
Over 82,000 of these adoptions were by U.S. families, with most of the adopted children being girls, according to China's Children International (CCI).
On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced the policy change, stating that it aligns with global adoption trends. "Except for cases where foreigners adopt a child or stepchild of a blood relative within three generations, China will no longer send children abroad for adoption," Mao explained. She also expressed appreciation to foreign governments and families for their interest and care shown towards Chinese children.
The fate of families currently in the process of adopting from China remains uncertain following the policy shift.
This decision comes at a time when China is grappling with a declining population and low birth rates. Despite efforts to encourage marriages and childbirth, young couples are often discouraged by the high cost of raising children and concerns over job security and economic growth.
China enforced its one-child policy from 1979 to 2015 to control population growth. Under this policy, many families chose to keep male children, traditionally seen as the primary family caregivers, while giving up female children for adoption.
The suspension of foreign adoptions by China follows a similar move by the Netherlands, which banned international adoptions in May, and Denmark, which ceased foreign adoptions after its last adoption agency shut down.
