(Wall Street Journal) – Beijing formally ends a program that was propelled by birth restrictions and that had been largely on hold since the pandemic

China said it was formally ending almost all international adoptions, shutting down a process that saw tens of thousands of Chinese-born children join families in the U.S. and other countries since the 1990s.

International adoptions from China had been declining for years and were largely on hold since the pandemic. Many countries have tightened restrictions on international adoptions, driven in part by concerns over the adoption of children who had been stolen from their parents.

China’s move also reflects its transition to the world’s second-largest economy, where concerns have shifted in recent decades from overpopulation to sharply slowing birthrates. (Read More)