BEIJING, China– An investigation by a Chinese newspaper found that about 80 baby girls in southern China’s Guizhou Province have been sold to childless families in the U.S. and Europe for $3,000 each. These baby girls were “confiscated” from families when the parents could not pay the $3,000 fine for violating China’s Family Planning Policy.

Chinese families in rural villages, unlike those living in urban areas, are allowed to have a second child to continue the family name and to help out with the farm if the first child is not a son.  However, if the rural families have more than two children, they face a fine of $3,000, which is several times a farmer’s annual income.  Accordingly, this is an unpopular policy among rural residents, and families in Guizhou Province who could not pay the fine had to hand over their babies to the local authorities. 

Chinese couple whose six-month old baby daughter was taken away by the government (Source: NDDAILY.com)

Abandoned babies in China can be registered for adoption, but the investigation alleged that the local authorities confiscated the babies and then forged documents by labeling the babies as “orphans.”  The adoption fee of $3,000 per baby was split between the local authorities and the orphanages.  This type of foreign adoption program has been referred to as “Baby Economy,” and the local orphanages made huge profits.

Although China’s Family Planning Policy leaves some families devastated and gives rise to corruption in some villages, one official said, “This is the policy.  You pay, or you let the government take care of the baby.”  However, the babies are not raised by the government, but taken overseas.

Zhou Ze, a lawyer and professor at China Youth College for Political Science, commented that forcibly removing babies from their parents to make a profit constitutes abduction.

Adoption rules for foreigners in China were tightened in 2006, but the regulation has proven ineffective due to local government corruption.

For more information, please see:

BBC – China babies ‘sold for adoption’ – 2 July 2009

The Straight Times – Illegal babies sold – 4 July 2009

Telegraph – Chinese babies sold for adoption to US and Europe, report claims – 3 July 2009

UPI – Chinese baby girls sold for adoption – 2 July 2009