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)