Illegal adoption is especially prevalent in China, as a result of the government’s one child policy and a cultural preference for male children. Of course China is not the only country where illegal adoption occurs. The 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption establishes common standards and regulations for international adoption, while recognizing that these adoptions can lead to child trafficking. Chinese officials, the media, and many others consider the abduction of children for illegal adoption to be human trafficking, but debate still surrounds the issue. Although the US does not consider trafficking of children for adoption purposes, several countries do and have included illegal adoptions in their anti-trafficking legislation.