China expects three overlapping population peaks in the first half of the 21st century; the overall population, working-age population and aging population are expected to peak, said Zhao Baige, Vice Minister for the National Population and Family Planning Commission of China (NPFPC), at the 14th World Productivity Congress on Monday.

Zhao also said that these peaks will increase demand for better social management and public service which calls for better co-ordination and a solution to the population problems to promote human resources development.

According to Zhao, the current birth rate is 1.8. Even if the birth rate remains at this level, China will have an 8-10 million net increase in population every year, which means that every two years the population will increase by the size of the population of Australia and six years by the population of Britain. Undoubtedly this will create even more environmental challenges for China, where it is already very fragile.

China also needs to improve the cultural, scholastic and technological education of its population. It is extremely urgent that this is addressed in time for the generation of citizens now in their infancy.

Addressing the structure of the population issue, Zhao said that China faces two challenges, a significant gender imbalance and an aging population, which will exert unprecedented pressure on the social security system.

World's largest and most rapid migration of people happening in China

China is facing the world's largest and most rapid human migration, said Zhao Baige, Vice Minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission of China (NPFPC), at the 14th World Productivity Congress in Shenyang on Monday.

With China's rapid economic development and improving productivity, there is a significant rural labor force that is no longer needed for farm work. Many of these people have come to cities and other developed areas in search of work. The workers have helped boost China's economic development, but they have created a number a number of problems.

China's rural population does not have adequate access to public services. There is a significant surplus of labor in rural areas. In the next 20 years many of those unemployed workers will migrate to cities. China needs to ensure a well-organized flow of rural labor and to protect the rights and interests of farmers. The migration of workers will push up the aging population in rural areas and create a series of social problems, such as a shortage in facilities and personnel for aged care and the education of children. There are approximately 20 million children currently being raised in the countryside. Efforts must be made to improve their environment. Statistics show that about 84 percent of the country's illiterate young and a significant number of birth defects are in rural areas. The rural population needs to be better educated and human resources need to be better managed. If these problems are not properly resolved, it will be difficult for China to achieve its goal of building a harmonious society.

Zhao added that the Chinese government will try hard to ensure that the mobile population is able to enjoy the same rights, public services, employment and educational opportunities as the urban population. It will do everything possible to formulate an integrated management policy to protect women, children and elderly people in rural areas to prevent them from becoming vulnerable and marginalized groups.

By People's Daily Online