No S'pore families affected by China halting foreign adoptions

Agents say China adoptions not popular with couples here, given the long wait

- Theresa Tan

The sudden announcement by China that it would stop sending its children overseas for adoption has no impact on families in Singapore, as there are no current applications by couples here to adopt an unrelated child from China.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) told The Straits Times this when asked how many Singapore couples were affected by China's announcement on Sept 6.

A spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry had said that China would no longer allow couples from other countries to adopt its children, with the only exception being for blood relatives adopting a child or a stepchild.

The spokeswoman did not provide any explanations, except to say that the decision was in line with the spirit of the relevant international conventions.

The MSF did not say how many children from China were adopted by couples in Singapore in 2023 or the years before that, though ST understands such adoptions are uncommon here.

In 2015, ST reported that 25 children were adopted from China in the preceding five years. This comprised only about 1 per cent of all the adoptions during the period.

Adoption agents interviewed said that China adoptions are not popular with Singapore parents, given the long wait.