News

China confident of containing bird flu: China is completely confident of being able to contain the bird flu epidemic after recording 15 consecutive days without a new outbreak, the nation's chief veterinary officer said.

Rural areas of China put squeeze on farmers: This year, Zhou Junniu got an unexpected gift from Beijing: The government abolished rural taxes and fees, saving the garlic farmer an amount equal to $800 annually.

China Gets "Desperate": Only time will tell if the ladies of Wisteria Lane get lost in translation. Desperate Housewives is set to hit the notoriously conservative Chinese airwaves for the first time Dec. 19, it was announced Thursday.

Stifling in Jade Dust: At 31, Feng Xingzhong is dying after years of toiling in one of China's gemstone factories. He's not alone -- except in speaking up for justice.

Local Story

Adoptees hang on to their homelands: When 4-year-old Zoe Drigot picks up a pencil or crayon to write, she not only practices her ABCs like her fellow preschoolers but crafts Chinese characters as well.

NPR on China's Economy

China's Economy Larger Than Thought: China has discovered $300 billion in its economy, thanks to an updated accounting system that is better able to track the private sector. Many expect revised economic data being released next week to show the country's economy to be about 20 percent larger than thought.

Update on Baby Trafficking

Chinese Stonewall on Baby Smuggling: Chinese officials have imposed a wall of silence on a baby- trafficking scandal in which orphanages and child-welfare agencies were implicated in a scheme to buy and sell at least 100 children. Police and child-welfare officials in Hunan are refusing to comment on the latest case, and Chinese media have been ordered to stop covering the story.

(Thanks Frank from China_AP_News)

Featured Flickr Photo

Forbidden Gardens
Forbidden Gardens - Katy, Texas

(Courtesy of Vanita)

Sad News

Spring Hill mother charged with murder in child's death: A Spring Hill mother was indicted by the Williamson County grand jury yesterday on charges of felony murder in the death of her 20-month-old daughter, whom she and her husband adopted from China eight months ago.

Local Story

Be a 'forever family': This summer, my husband, Chuck, and I had the privilege of accompanying our two granddaughters back to the orphanages in China where they once lived.

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Featured Flickr Photo

Calm
on a winter day at Beihai Park in Beijing

Large version

(Courtesy of Junk Girl)

Articles on Baby Trafficking

This is a topic that few will find enjoyable. But for those who are interested, I am posting links that have been provided by various people on different adoption lists.

Baby-Selling Ring Busted in China: Police in southern China have arrested 16 people allegedly involved in kidnapping and selling baby girls as young as newborns to foreigners.

Orphanages Accused in Baby-trading Scandal: Orphanages in central China's Hunan Province have sold or traded at least 100 babies over the past few years, and authorities are investigating a crime ring that may be marketing children across China.

Baby-selling orphanage in Hunan cracked down: The local police of Qidong County in Central China's Hunan Province announced the crackdown on a baby-trade gang November 23, with most of the suspected being heads and staff of orphanages around Hunan.

The following is commentary by Brian Stuy of Research-China.Org:

The Finances of Baby Trafficking: The recent news story of baby trafficking in the Hunan Province of China offers a disturbing view into the hidden market for young children. Although many Western adoptive parents read such stories with awe and puzzlement, this case has struck particularly close to home, given the involvement of individuals involved with the international adoption program. This recent event represents a convergence of two powerful market forces, the international adoption program, and the domestic demand in China for infants. Unfortunately, Western News organizations have misunderstood both the causes and forces behind these stories.