China has officially announced a ban on the adoption of local children by foreigners, allowing it only in cases where the adopters are blood relatives of the child. About this informs Reuters.
The innovation came as a surprise to many, as China has long been one of the largest countries to allow international adoption.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning confirmed the new rules, saying they do not violate international norms, including conventions governing adoption. However, a more detailed explanation of the reasons for the introduction of such measures was not provided.
One of the consequences of the new rules was the cancellation of all pending adoption processes conducted through international agencies. This is especially true for American families, who are allowed to complete the process only if they have already received permission to enter China.
For many years, China has held a leading position in the field of international adoption. US citizens alone have adopted more than 82,000 Chinese children, making the US one of the key partners in this direction. In total, since 1992, more than 160,000 children from China have been adopted by families around the world.
The introduction of new restrictions took place against the background of concerns of the Chinese authorities about the demographic crisis in the country. Over the past two years, China’s population has been shrinking, which has made it necessary to take measures to stimulate the birth rate. The Chinese government is trying to encourage young couples to marry and have children to slow down this negative demographic trend.
Demographic decline has become a serious challenge for the Chinese economy and social sphere, as the aging population puts pressure on the pension system and the labor market. The change in adoption policy could be part of a larger strategy aimed at preserving the population in the country and encouraging local adoptions instead of international ones.
