World News for Students of English

10-09-2024 07:00

China has announced it will no longer allow international adoptions. This change aligns with international agreements and only allows the adoption of stepchildren or close relatives. It brings uncertainty for families in the process.

Over the past 30 years, at least 150,000 Chinese children were adopted abroad, with the majority of 82,000 going to the US. One expert explained that adoptions have been paused since 2020, partly due to demographic concerns. China now values children more highly and has programs for special needs, reducing the need for international adoptions. Additionally, there is a growing sentiment that Chinese children should remain in their home country due to cultural differences.

As China’s middle class has grown and poverty has been reduced, more local families are encouraged to adopt. Social attitudes are changing, and many families are now more open to adoption, especially if having biological children is difficult.

Difficult words: demographic (related to population changes), sentiment (an opinion or idea based on a feeling about a situation), biological child (a child who is genetically related to their parents).

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