Published: 6:07am, 29 Oct 2025Updated: 6:40am, 29 Oct 2025
Hundreds of American families who’ve waited over five years to embrace their adoptive children from China are clinging to hope that a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will finally bring their families together.
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Their optimism grew after the White House, for the first time, told the Post on Monday that the “America first” president is aware of their plight. This came weeks after US State Department officials suggested they look elsewhere after Beijing held firm on its decision to block all international adoptions.
“President Trump is aware of this issue, and the Trump administration is committed to supporting American families and protecting children,” a senior Trump administration official said in an emailed statement.
The statement added that the Chinese government’s decision to halt the adoption of children who had already been matched with “loving” American parents was unacceptable.
“We continue to call on the Chinese government to allow the completion of these adoptions,” the official said.
Since 1992, more than 160,000 children from China – including over 82,000 adopted by American families – have found homes abroad. But in 2024, Beijing abruptly ended the programme, leaving nearly 270 US families who had been waiting for years in limbo.