North American parents find China's adoption program reliable. (Photo : www.china.org)
Chinese Consul General Luo Linquan, along with his wife Qiao Li, held a reception for 29 U.S. families who adopted children from China, where the success of adoption was celebrated by parents, more than 30 children and the consulate staff and their families, as reported by Women of China.
China became open to overseas adoption in 1992. Since then, around 100,000 children from China have been adopted by U.S. families, with around 2,000 of them living in the Bay Area.
The annual event was held in the consul general's residence in San Francisco.
Luo told his guests that as parents of their own child, he and his wife understand the challenges of raising a child. He thanked the American parents for their "enduring love and selfless devotion to the Chinese children, bringing them in with warmth and happiness."
"To me, adoption is all about the person who got loved inside, not the person we need outside," said Alicia Johnson, a 14-year-old child at the reception, who was adopted when she was only 11 months old. "The relationships that we build across the borders, across from the U.S. to China, love will prevail."
Alicia's parents brought her to China two years ago so that she could learn about her roots.
"A Chinese saying has it: 'Love knows no boundaries.' What the American parents have done is a living example of this Chinese saying. Their compassion and love have changed the Chinese children's lives," said Qiao.
Luo also gave a special message to the children.
"I want to let you know that China, your country of birth, never forgets you and will always miss you and welcome you," said Luo. "This means you belong to two families, and the love you have is double. When you grow up, I hope you would support and care for your parents in the same way. I also hope you will develop the Chinese spirit you were born with and keep learning the Chinese language. In this way, you will build bridges of friendship between China and the U.S. with a cross-cultural background."
