China has officially ended its decades-long foreign adoption program, halting the practice of sending tens of thousands of children overseas, Yahoo reports.
The decision, announced Thursday by China’s foreign ministry, brings to a close an era that began in the early 1990s and saw over 160,000 children adopted by families abroad, primarily in the United States.
The move, rooted in China’s now-abandoned one-child policy, reflects a shift in national priorities and aligns with global trends that have seen other countries curtail or eliminate foreign adoption programs.
Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, stated that only adoptions of stepchildren or blood relatives by foreign nationals would be permitted under the new regulations.
“We are grateful for the desire and love of the governments and adoption families of relevant countries to adopt Chinese children,” she said in a brief statement.
The foreign adoption program in China was largely driven by the one-child policy, which led to a significant number of abandoned children, primarily those with disabilities or special needs. The program provided a lifeline for overcrowded orphanages and eased the financial burden of caring for these children.
However, the program has also been criticized for its connection to the controversial one-child policy, as well as allegations of corruption and a lack of transparency.
Professor Wang Feng of the University of California, Irvine, describes the move as “the end of an era,” noting that the government allowed foreign adoption to alleviate the consequences of its own population control measures.
The decision comes at a time when China’s population is shrinking, with one of the lowest birth rates in the world. The country has struggled to encourage higher birth rates despite allowing up to three children per family.
The halt in foreign adoptions has left many families, particularly in the United States, in limbo. Adoption agencies have informed families who were in the process of adopting Chinese children about the new restrictions.
The move has sparked a range of reactions. While some activists, like Peter Moller, co-founder of the Danish Korean Rights Group, have welcomed the decision, citing concerns about abuse and neglect in international adoption, others have expressed concern for the future of orphans in China.
