Why did China stop allowing foreigners to adopt children?

China's more than three-decade-old program for foreign adoptions was suspended on August 28. Confirming the policy change last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said the decision was "in line" with international trends.

The decision reflects a landmark shift in China's population policy, with newborns now becoming a "driving force" for China, rather than a "burden" as they once were, said demographer Yi Fuxian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Faced with a declining population, China ended its one-child policy in 2016. Photo: AFP

Once a "solution" to the one-child policy

By the time foreign adoptions were officially allowed in 1992, China was still struggling to contain its rapid population growth, despite its one-child policy.

Allowed to raise only one child, many Chinese families are eventually forced to give up their children, mostly girls and disabled babies, or face high fines.

As a result, over the past three decades, more than 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by families around the world.

According to China Children’s International (CCI), about half of these children ended up in the United States. At the time, it was a win-win situation for China, Mr. Yi said.

China's changing population policy

Decades later, however, China is now facing a declining population with the lowest birth rate in the world.

In 2023, the number of new births in China fell by 5.7% to about 9 million, a record low birth rate of 6.39 births per 1,000 people. The total population also fell by more than 2 million, the second consecutive year of decline.

After abolishing the one-child policy in 2016, China began encouraging families to have two or three children. But at the same time, many young Chinese women are reluctant to have children due to high childcare costs and other social security issues.

"In the past, a smaller population was considered better... but now the population decline has caused concern," said Yi, adding that China's decision to stop sending children abroad was part of the country's response to a growing demographic crisis.

With an aging population, the number of Chinese children sent abroad has been steadily decreasing over the past few years.

Authorities have prioritized domestic adoptions in recent years, with domestic adoptions now accounting for nearly 90 percent of all adoptions in China, according to a commentary published by the Global Times.

With last week’s decision, it’s unclear what will happen to pending international adoptions. In a recent call with US diplomats, China’s Foreign Ministry said it “will not continue to process cases at any stage” except in exceptional circumstances.

Hoai Phuong (according to DW)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tai-sao-trung-quoc-dung-cho-nguoi-nuoc-ngoai-nhan-con-nuoi-post311585.html