Photos and personal information of 284 children recently rescued from kidnappers were published by Chinese authorities to help them find their birth parents. The online database, according to a report by Beijing Youth Daily, went live on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The website, qgdgxq.mca.gov.cn, has garnered approximately 2.28 million visits since its launch.
Run and maintained by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the online database aims to help children rescued from kidnappers to find their birth parents. The ministry encourages all Chinese regions to input information about missing children to help resolve the cases.
Basic information such as the child's name, where they were kidnapped, and the social welfare institution currently looking after them are published on the website.
Social welfare institutions care for rescued children. Children unable to locate their birth parents for over 12 months are put up for adoption. The process can be halted, however, if a child's real parents show up and are deemed fit by the government.
Human trafficking rings are often related to missing children cases in China, as a large number of abducted children are sold to couples unable to have a son. Although such transactions are well-organized, trafficking rings lack sufficient information to help the police return rescued children to their real parents. Abducted children are also often too young to remember such details and information.
To curb the worsening case of child abductions in China, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security have issued a protocol on child abduction cases on Thursday, Sept. 17.
As of current times, the government has yet to give a total number of abducted children in China.