China’s government suspends foreign adoptions of its children

The Chinese government no longer allows foreigners to adopt children, a spokesman said on Thursday.

The only exception will be relatives adopting a child or stepchild, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. She did not explain the decision, saying only that it was in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions.

For decades, many foreigners have adopted children from China, coming to the country to pick them up and then bringing them to their new home abroad.

China suspended international adoptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government later resumed adoptions of children who had been authorized to travel before the suspension in 2020, the U.S. State Department said in its latest annual adoption report.

The U.S. consulate issued 16 visas for adoptions from China in the 12 months from October 2022 to September 2023, the first time in more than two years, according to a State Department report. It is unclear whether more visas have been issued since then.

In January, Denmark’s only adoption agency abroad announced it was closing down after concerns about fabricated documents and procedures, while Norway’s highest regulatory body recommended a two-year halt to international adoptions while investigations into several cases were concluded.