Authorities deny loosening 2nd child limits

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Authorities deny loosening 2nd child limits

By Chen Ximeng (Global Times) 09:24, October 30, 2013

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The National Health and Family Planning Commission on Tuesday denied a media report saying that a policy to allow more couples to have a second child will be rolled out nationwide, instead of piloting the policy in some provinces and cities.

The China Business News on Tuesday morning cited a government insider as saying that in contrast to the current policy, which allows couples who are both the only child in their families to have a second child, a gradual change, to be implemented, would mean only one parent would need to be an only child in order to have two offspring.

The insider's words sparked wide support from Net users and experts, as many called for the restrictions on having a second child to be scrapped.

However, commission spokesman Mao Qun'an said earlier that the family planning policy will be improved with the release of adjustment plans, but that this does not indicate any loosening of the bans on second children.

The family planning policy will continue to be carried out firmly as a national policy, Mao insisted.

The commission has not provided information regarding the time frame in which they plan to adjust the family planning policy.

The reproductive rights of ordinary people should be protected, whose freedom to give birth as they decide has been limited for around 30 years, Liang Zhongtang, a renowned demographics and family planning expert, told the Global Times Tuesday.

Liang's view was shared by Cao Jingchun, an expert with the National Population and Family Planning Commission, who said that the outdated policy should be changed as the population rapidly ages.

The Sixth National Population Census, taken in 2010, showed that 13.26 percent of the country's population was aged 60 years or above, and the proportion of senior citizens was increasing. In contrast, the percentage of people aged 14 or less was 16.6 percent, which was a record low level, the China News Service revealed in a report at the time.

Cao said that if the government didn't loosen family planning restrictions, the dramatically shrinking workforce would limit the growth of the economy. He also said he supports a gradual lift of the ban on second children, adding that suddenly loosening it could cause another baby boom.

The policy, which states that both parents must be only children to qualify for a second child, has been in place since 1982, with Henan Province the last one to implement it in 2011.

The second step toward lifting the ban on second children entirely is to allow couples a second birth if one parent is an only child, said Cao.

While many parents desire a second child, the expense is also a factor.

A public servant with a township family planning office in Beijing told the Global Times Tuesday that although the government is considering loosening the ban on second children in the near future, villagers in his township, who can not afford the high cost for raising two children, are unlikely to take advantage of the loosened restrictions.