China has joined into the ranks of those nations with a low population growth level, and then why should it still carry out its family planning and stabilize its existing family planning policy?
It represents a major policy decision of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to stabilize the existing family planning policy
China's total population will keep a sustained growth in the next dozen years, and it is expected to increase by anywhere from 8 to 10 millions a year and reach the peak level of about 1.5 billion in the mid 2030s.
China's Constitution stipulates that "the state carries out the family planning policy so as to enable its population growth to keep abreast with the plan for economic and social development." The Population and Family Planning Law of the People's Republic of China, enacted on Dec. 29, 2001 made it even more explicit that "carrying out the family planning policy constitutes the state's fundamental national policy" and "the state will stabilizes its family planning policy."
Moreover, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council on December 17, 2006 jointly promulgated the Decision on Fully Enhancing Population and Family Planning Program and Comprehensively Addressing Population Problems (abbreviated as the "Decision" of the central authority), which once again underscores that "it is imperative to adhere to the basic national policy of family planning and unswervingly stabilize the existing family planning policy."
Although China has joined into the ranks of low population growth nations, its low population growth rate will co-exist simultaneously with high population growth quantity for a long period of time, owing to its huge base figure of population. So its basic national conditions for China, a country that has such a vast total population but with a weak economic foundation and a relatively inadequate per-capita share of resources, have basically remain unchanged.
Population problem represents a major issue China is confronted with during its primary stage of socialism. So any deviation in understanding, any error in the related work and any unfavorable change in its external environment can lead to a rebound of the fertility level, negatively affecting the building of the socialist, harmonious society and the process of constructing a well-off society in a comprehensive way. So it is imperative to adhere to the basic national policy of family planning and stabilize the existing family planning policy, as noted the Decision of the central authority.
Family planning policy keeps improving with understanding and support of people in China
China's existing family planning policy is not meant to be carried out indiscriminately nationwide and still less be notified as the so-called exclusively "one child" policy. On this policy of fertility, there are somewhat disparities between regions, between urban and rural areas and between the leading Han nationality and minority ethnicities. The terms are more eased up in countryside than in cities and towns, in eastern-mid China than in western region, and with regard to ethnic minorities than in the Han nationality.
On the basis of overall stability, most provinces had made minor appropriate adjustment, with clear-cut specifications made in some provinces with respect to birth intervals, re-marriage child birth as well as the marriage and child birth for the couple of spouses who were only children themselves, and subsequent, continuous improvements of the family planning policy in all areas during the ninth and tenth five-year plan periods (from 1996 to 2005). And practice has once again testified to the fact that the existing family planning conforms to China's basic national conditions, complies with the laws guiding the population growth and the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, and facilitate the country's socio-economic development and modernization program.
Stabilizing existing population growth policy constitute scientific policy decision based on strategic studies on China's population growth
The National Population and Family Planning Commission of China has gathered together more than 300 population experts and scholars and set up strategic studies groups to carry researches into national population development under the leadership of the State Council, or the central government and, after two years of wide-ranging researches, these specialists set forth a strategic study report on China's national population growth.
On the premise of stabilizing a low fertility level, the next 30 years will be a vital, crucial period, in which China will achieve a gradual transition from a lower population growth rate to zero growth, and the total population, after reaching its peak figure, will slowly decrease, according to the report.
Due to the third baby boom in the 80s and 90s of the 20th century, nevertheless, child-baring women aged 20 to 29 will brining about a minor peak of fertility level in 15 years from 2005 and 2020. Meanwhile, some accumulated 100 million only-child young adults have entered the child bearing age and somewhat raised the level of fertility upon the entry of the 21st century. Therefore, the stability of China's family planning policy should be maintained during the period of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010).
Low fertility level poses a practical risk of rebound
To date, there have been rebounds of fertility rate to varying extent in some areas, with an occurrence of many unplanned births in a few particular regions.
In China today, there are still relatively big disparities between the desires of some people for having more babies and the relevant requirements set by the policies on family planning, there is a marked rise in the number of babies so far born within the permits of the policies, and some leading officials in the Party and government organizations and relevant units are blindly optimistic in this regard. Furthermore, benefit-oriented policy on family planning is not competent or effective enough, and the competency of family planning service organs or agencies and their personnel fail to cope fully with the new situations and new tasks.
It is due to the above mentioned circumstances that China must continue to stabilize its hard-attained low fertility level for a period of time. It is precisely on this basis that the country should keep up studies on policy measures for an all-round settlement of its population issue, and work hard to promote the coordinated and sustainable development of its population on the one hand and economy, society, resources and the environment on the other hand.
By People's Daily Online
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