China Halts Foreign Adoptions of Its Children After Three Decades, Reports Reuters

China Ends International Adoption of Children

By Farah Master

HONG KONG (Reuters) – The Chinese government has announced that it will no longer facilitate the adoption of children by foreign families, marking a significant change in policy after more than three decades that stemmed from its former one-child policy.

Since 1992, when China first allowed international adoptions, over 160,000 children have found homes around the world. Notably, approximately 82,000 of these adoptions took place in the United States, according to data from China’s Children International (CCI).

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning stated that the government has revised its cross-border adoption policy to align with global trends. She specified that, "Apart from the adoption of a child or stepchild of blood relatives of the same generation who are within three degrees of foreigners coming to China to adopt, China will not send children abroad for adoption." Mao also expressed gratitude to foreign governments and families for their kind intentions in wanting to adopt Chinese children.

It remains uncertain how this change will affect families currently in the adoption process with China.

The policy shift coincides with ongoing efforts by Chinese authorities to encourage young couples to marry and have children, especially as the nation has experienced a decline in population for two consecutive years. China is facing one of the lowest birth rates globally and has been working to incentivize young women to have families. However, many potential parents are deterred by the high cost of childcare, job security concerns, and the slower growth of the country’s economy.

Historically, China’s strict one-child policy, which was active from 1979 to 2015, aimed to control population growth. Families frequently chose to adopt out female babies, who are traditionally less valued in some areas, opting instead to keep male children, seen as future family caregivers.

The decision to halt international adoptions follows similar moves by other countries; the Netherlands recently prohibited its citizens from adopting foreign children, while Denmark also ceased international adoptions after its only agency halted operations.