For its own family policy reasons, China has banned foreigners from adopting Chinese children and taking them abroad. As a result, hundreds of American families who had previously participated in adoption programs are now left in uncertainty. The numbers highlight the significance of this change, as over 160,000 children have found new families worldwide since the Middle Kingdom allowed international adoptions in 1992.
According to the U.S. State Department, between 1999 and 2023, American parents adopted 83,000 children from China, accounting for 29 percent of U.S. overseas adoptions. Previously, Beijing justified the restrictions with Covid, but it has now officially imposed a ban. This is another symptom of the demographic crisis within China and the worsening relations with the United States.
In fact, if we recall the sanctions confrontation between Moscow and Washington, it also began with a ban on child adoption. On the other hand, it’s clear that China has long viewed the world through its obvious economic interests and framed its relations with potential adversaries accordingly.
Translated and edited by Alex Kada.
