Julie Kavanagh, minister counselor at the US embassy in Beijing, said more than 90,000 Chinese children have been adopted by US families since 1979.

Susan Dixon, a 62-year-old from Chicago, said her daughter Sara was only 14 months old when she adopted her in Chongqing.

"I decided a long time ago to adopt when I was doing some orphanage work in the late 1990s in Jiangxi province. My grandmother was adopted and her name was also Sara," Dixon said. "Once I heard from China, my heart was here. I knew I had to come here. ...

"The process was very smooth, especially on the Chinese side. The paperwork was really detailed, but was necessary.

"I got my referral about a month before I received permission to travel, and that was when I saw the first picture of my daughter.

"I went to Hong Kong for a week before I came here for the adoption. I just couldn't stay in the United States anymore. I had to get closer."

suzhou@chinadaily.com.cn