(VitalNews.org) – The Chinese government is ending its foreign adoption program, which has caused some concern for the United States since it has left American families with pending adoption applications uncertain.
Spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Mao Ning, said that Beijing wasn’t allowing intercountry adoptions of Chinese children any longer, with an exception for blood relatives.
“We express our appreciation to those foreign governments and families, who wish to adopt Chinese children, for their good intention and the love and kindness they have shown,” Ning said.
The U.S. State Department said it was told by Chinese authorities that all pending adoptions were canceled, except for those who have already been issued travel authorization. Beijing said that the country “will not continue to process cases at any stage,” in a phone call to U.S. Diplomats.
Adoptions from China have taken place for years and many couples were faced with extreme delays that left them waiting on their child for years. In total, the United States has adopted over eighty thousand children from China.
The COVID pandemic stopped intercountry adoptions in 2020. Many suspected that due to changes in China’s political and economic situation that there would be a tightening or end of the adoption policy.
According to the most recent update from the U.S. State Department, the Chinese government has resumed options for children who received travel authorizations before the suspension of the policy took place.
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