China Ends Foreign Adoptions Of Its Children After Three Decades

China has announced that it is ending the practice of allowing children to be adopted overseas, ending a policy that lasted more than three decades. China's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the government had adjusted its cross-border adoption policy to be "in line" with international trends.

Since 1992, more than 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by families across the world. According to China's Children International (CCI), among 82,000 of these children, mostly girls, have been adopted in the United States. The recent ban has left hundreds of US families, who are currently going through the process, in uncertainty. 

"Apart from the adoption of a child or stepchild of blood relatives of the same generation who are within three generations of foreigners coming to China to adopt, China will not send children abroad for adoption," the spokeswoman said, as quoted by Reuters. China made the latest move as the country's policymakers struggle to encourage young couples to get married and have children after the population fell for two consecutive years.

Concerns over international adoptions have been voiced by several nations. In May, the Netherlands said it will no longer allow its citizens to adopt children from abroad. Denmark has also stopped operations of its overseas adoption agency over concerns about fabricated documents.