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Spokesman on stabilizing China's family-planning policy |
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16:37, July 11, 2007 |
China's current family planning policy has to be adhered to, said Yu Xuejun, spokesman for the National Population and Family Planning Commission, Tuesday, or July 10, on the eve of the 18th World Population Day, which falls on Wednesday.
China's family planning policy is by no means simply a one-child policy, but features varied measures with classified groups, said Yu, and currently 30 to 40 percent of China's population is allowed to give birth to two or more kids.
In most provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities, the couple of only-child spouses can have a second child, and this doesn't imply a change in the present family planning policy, Yu said. Three factors have determined that the existing family planning policy has to be stabilized. First, China happens to encounter a baby boom during the 11th Five-year Plan period (2006-10); second, minor adjustments have been made in some family planning rules in localities, which have eased restrictions to a certain extent on the conditions for having a second child, and couples of only-child spouses are permitted to have a second kid. So it can be affirmed that there will be a somewhat increase in the number of families eligible for a second child in a period of time ahead; third, any major change in family planning policy will evoke major demographic ups and downs, which are unfavorable to the balanced, sound population growth. Therefore, the State Council, or the central government, had decided to stabilize the current policy based on the strategic studies done on the country's population growth.
On the issue of gender imbalance among the newborns, Yu said, China's ratio is about 118.58, a marked deviation from the normal ratio of anywhere from 103 to 107. So, China has indeed become the country with the most serious gender imbalance for the longest sustainable period.
"Family planning, nevertheless, has something to do with gender ratio among newborns," acknowledged Yu, but added that it is not the fundamental factor for the enlarging gender rise. In fact, a relatively high gender imbalance also constitutes an economy issue and a culture issue. In other words, it is an issue of caring for or supporting the aged, or an issue of gender preference, or equality between men and women.
By People's Daily Online
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