According to a spokesman, the regulation modification complies with the letter and spirit of international agreements.
Over the past thirty years, at least fifteen thousand Chinese children have been adopted overseas.
The United States has received more than 82,000, more than any other country in the globe.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated at a daily briefing on Thursday that going forward, Beijing would only permit foreigners who are related to adopt Chinese children.
She only stated that the decision was in accordance with international accords without providing an explanation for it.
Families were congratulated by Ms. Mao “for their desire and love in adopting children from China.”.
For hundreds of US families presently in the process of adopting Chinese children, the prohibition on international adoptions has caused uncertainty.
Beijing stated that it would “not continue to process cases at any stage” unless the adoption case was exempt from this rule in a phone conversation with US diplomats stationed in China. Spokesman Ms. Mao verified this position.
