1. In accordance with the provisions set forth in the Adoption Law of the People's Republic of China, the adopters should meet simultaneously the following requirements:

 

(1) Childless

 

"By childless" is meant to indicate that the adopters have neither biological children, nor any adopted children, nor step-children.

 

(2) The capacity of rearing and educating the adoptees

 

"By the capacity of rearing and educating the adoptees" is meant to indicate that the adopters should have the full civil capacity, and the capacity of rearing and educating the adoptees physically, intellectually, resourcefully and morally as well as the capacity of fulfilling parental obligations to their children.

 

(3) No such diseases as considered medically unfit for adoption.

 

"No such diseases as considered medically unfit for adoption" is defined as mainly mental disease and infectious disease.

 

(4) 30 years old.

 

"By 30 years old" is meant to indicate one's 30 full years of age. When a couple jointly adopts a child, both of them should reach the age of 30.

 

2. Where a person with spouse adopts a child, the husband or wife should get consent from the other to adopt the child in concert.

 

3. Where a spouseless male adopts a female child, the full years of age between the adopter and the adoptee should be over 40 years.

 

4. The adoption of a child belonging to a collateral relative by blood of the same generation and up to the third degree of kinship, may not be confined to the restrictions that "children whose parents are unable to rear them due to unusual difficulties, the "age difference between the adopter and the adoptee shall be no less than 40 years" and that the adoptee is under the age of l4.

 

"By the adoption of a child belonging to a collateral relative by blood of the same generation and up to the third degree of kinship" is meant to indicate siblings and brothers-sisters-german of the third degree of kinship; "the children belonging to a collateral relatives by blood of the same generation and up to the third degree of kinship" indicate the children of the siblings and that of brothers-sisters-german of the third kinship, namely, nephews and nieces, and brothers-sisters-german and cousins-german of the fourth generation.

 

5. Orphans, disabled children or abandoned infants and children, who are raised in the social welfare institutes, and whose biological parents can not be ascertained or found, may be adopted irrespective of the restrictions that the adopter should be childless and adopt one child only.

 

(China-ccaa.org October 16, 2006)