As numerous American families eagerly await the processing of their applications to adopt children from China, Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced the official termination of the country’s international adoption program.
A spokesperson for the ministry, stated in the initial official announcement regarding the rule change, “In addition to the adoption of children by collateral relatives of the same generation, China will not permit the adoption of children abroad. This policy aligns with the principles outlined in pertinent international agreements.”
For the past thirty years, the United States has been the primary destination for the international adoption of Chinese children, but now, according to media reports, Chinese government officials, in a telephone conversation with American diplomats in China, indicated that they “will not proceed with processing cases at any stage” except for those special cases that fall under an exemption clause.
“The State Department acknowledges that there are numerous families awaiting the finalization of their adoption processes, and we express our empathy for their circumstances,” the US State Department stated.
Back in 2007, China implemented stricter regulations for the assessment of foreign adopters, focusing on factors such as family lifestyle and age, and restricted applications to heterosexual married couples only.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing temporarily halted foreign adoptions; however, it later resumed the process for couples who had obtained travel authorizations before 2020.
China’s prohibition aligns with actions taken by other nations. In January, Denmark’s sole overseas adoption agency halted its activities due to raised concerns regarding irregularities and falsified documentation.
In June, Norway implemented stricter regulations on foreign adoptions and is currently investigating the legality and ethics of previous adoptions.
