The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The number of children available for adoption by foreigners has been on the decline as more affluent families in China have started adopting them, said a report published in the China Daily quoting the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA).

"The number of Chinese couples applying to adopt children has increased substantially," the daily said in its August 20 issue quoting Wang Suying, a Division Chief of MCA's Social Welfare and Social Affairs Department, which monitors adoption.

Since 1992 when China's Adoption Law was enforced, US families have adopted more than 55,000 Chinese children.

Meanwhile, China has tightened the rules for foreigners who wanted to adopt its children, the report said. Couples now need to have a stable marriage, comfortable income and sound physical and mental health to qualify to adopt children.

People who are interested to adopt children must be more than 30 years old, healthy and childless with a steady income to raise and educate the children.

As many as 52,500 children were registered for adoption in 2004, with foreigners adopting 12,500 of them, MCA figure revealed.

The numbers fell to about 46,000 and 10,000 last year, the report quoting MCA said. Wang said, "Our policy is in line with the international practice to encouraging adoption by families within the country. But that does not mean that China has any prejudice against foreign adoption."

More families in China are adopting children because Chinese people's attitude towards adoption has changed, the report said adding a lot of Chinese used to adopt kids to ensure some one was there to take care of them during their retired life.

The daily said, "Now more and more Chinese are adopting kids simply because they love children and are proud to become foster parents."

China's Academy of Social Sciences shows its 30 million middle class people earn between USD 10,000 and 50,000 a year. The report said US families adopted the highest number of Chinese children followed by the Spanish.