China announced on Thursday that it is ending its international adoption programme, an initiative that saw tens of thousands of Chinese-born children join families in the US and other countries since the 1990s. The confirmation came from Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry at a daily press briefing.

During the presser, Mao said that China would no longer allow intercountry adoption of children who are Chinese citizens, with the only exception for blood relatives to adopt a child or a stepchild, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Chinese official did not give any further explanation on the matter and noted that the decision was “in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions.”

Following the news, the United States sought clarification on how the decision would affect hundreds of American families who have pending adoption applications. During a phone call with a US diplomat, Beijing made it clear that it “will not continue to process cases at any stage” other than in cases of exceptions as mentioned earlier. The US State Department maintained that the US embassy in Beijing is still seeking clarification in writing from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs

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Source: https://www.firstpost.com/world/china-halts-foreign-adoptions-a-policy-helping-families-since-1990s-but-why-is-us-concerned-13812311.html

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