PPolitics

China ending foreign adoption program

  • September 9, 2024



Hello,

On Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry, said Beijing was no longer allowing intercountry adoptions of children from China and that all current pending applications would be cancelled

However, I saw this guardian article saying China says it is ending foreign adoptions, prompting concern from US

Why would the US and it's diplomats be concerned about this?

China ending foreign adoption program
byu/Maatsya ingeopolitics



Posted by Maatsya

4 comments

  1. because it brings heart ache and means lots of wasted resources for US citizens in process of adoptions. 

  2. In most cases, significant changes that have diplomatic or international implications (not directly related to state security, defense or internal security) are communicated diplomatically first and time is given for clarification and for the other countries to adjust any needed programs. China appears to be (we don’t know for sure) changing a policy quite abruptly and without communication. Hence it is expected that diplomats from many countries (not only the US) will be seeking clarification and raise concerns.

    This particular policy change is not a huge deal geopolitically. But of course since there people quite badly impacted (who were in the process of adoption) it is not unexpected that there will be a certain level of dissatisfaction for the lack of notification or consultation.

  3. China is party to the Hague Convention on International Adoption, and the U.S. State Department is the overseeing authority of the convention. Also, adopted children travel from their countries of birth to the U.S. on visas, so the U.S. Consular Affairs bureau at the State Department is involved in all overseas adoptions and works closely with prospective adoptive families.

  4. Because (1) they in response might need to change domestic adoption law since foreign adoption is easier. And (2) foreign adoption aids to deter population decline since couples might be assuaged from domestic processes due to their difficulties.

    And China’s stance on this might make others, who might suffer from population decline, do the same.

Leave a Reply