China has announced that it will no longer allow its children to be adopted by foreign families, bringing an end to a three-decade-old policy that saw thousands of Chinese children find homes abroad.
The decision, announced by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning on Thursday, comes as China struggles to encourage young couples to get married and have children amid a rapidly aging population and declining birth rates.
"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," Mao said.
She further added, "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.”
Since 1992, over 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by families worldwide, with the majority - around 82,000, mostly girls, have been adopted in the United States.
It’s one-child policy, implemented from 1979 to 2015, led to a significant number of female children being given up for adoption due to cultural preferences for male heirs.
The policy change comes as some European countries, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, have also halted international adoptions.
