San Qian will never forget how valuable he is to his parents.
When he was adopted a few years ago, they were fined 3,000 yuan (HK$2,700) so they could keep him as their second child. Hence his name, which means Three Thousand.
Such a penalty may sound unreasonable in a country where adoptions should be encouraged, not restricted.
Why should parents be penalised for adopting children? After all, there are more San Qians and homeless kids on the mainland than the state's over-burdened orphanages can cope with.
Demographers and human rights activists are seeking more domestic adoptions. They say welfare homes are too poor to nurture infants properly.
Not only would the children benefit, the state could also save money by promoting domestic adoption.