The Chinese government is no longer allowing foreigners to adopt its children, a spokeswoman has said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the only exception will be for blood relatives adopting a child or a stepchild.

She did not explain the decision other than to say that it was in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions.

Many foreigners have adopted children from China over the decades, visiting the country to pick them up and then bringing them to a new home overseas.

China suspended international adoptions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government later resumed adoptions for children who had received travel authorization before the suspension in 2020, the US State Department said in its latest annual report on adoptions.

A US consulate issued 16 visas for adoptions from China in the 12 months from October 2022 through September 2023, the first in more than two years, the State Department report said.

It was not clear if any more visas had been issued since then.