TheChinese government has announced theend of itsone-child policy. It hasbeen in effectsince1979andhassloweddownpopulation growth inChinaforoverthree decades. Withoutthepolicy,Chinawouldprobablyhave a total of 1.7 billion peopleinstead of the1.3billion it hastoday.NowChinese couples canofficiallyhavetwochildren.
Thedecisioncomes at a timewhenChinese authorities areworriedabouttheircountry's ageingpopulation.China'seconomicgrowth is endangered becausefeweryoungworkersareenteringthe workforce. Atthemoment, about a third of China's population is over50. By 2050,over 35 % of thepopulationwill be over65.
Chinastartedits familyplanningpolicy, aimed atslowingdownpopulationgrowth, at theend of the1970s. Couples whohad a secondchildhad to pay fines andsufferedfrom disadvantages atwork.Thesinglechild of a family was supported bystate benefits andfreeeducation up to a university degree. Whilethispolicy focused mainlyon urbanareas, familiesin rural Chinawereallowed to havetwochildren if thefirstwas a girl.Thepolicyledto hundreds of thousandsof abortions overthedecades. Illegally-borngirlswereoftenlaidaway or adoptedby westerners.Thishasled to a genderimbalance in China.
Humanrightsorganizationscontinue to criticize China'spopulationplanning.Theysaythenew regulations simplychange a one-childpolicyinto a two-childpolicy.Womenstill do nothavetherightto determine howmanychildrentheywant to have.
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