With the abundance of Chinese babies abandoned, why does China place special-needs restrictions on so many foreigners?
There are children in the system who might not otherwise be adoptedchildren who often have minor, correctible defects. Adoptive parents have a right to reject a child who does not seem to fit their needs, though of course that creates its own heartbreak. Throughout CHINA RUN, various members among your large cast of Chinese bureaucrats, law enforcers, government officials, and corporate powerbrokers echo a profound concern over saving face. Why do you think this ancient emphasis on honor remains such a powerful force in modern China? Face is the essence of Chinese character. Rooted in Confucianism, it drives behavior at all levels of life. Westerners who are successful in dealing in China have recognized the issue, and are careful never to place the Chinese in a position in which they lose face. In your novel, the spokesperson for the American consulate appears unsympathetic and unwilling to help his fellow Americans in their quest to keep their adoptive babies. What power does the Ame
