Daily Management Review

Is China going to cancel its birth limit policy?


09/18/2018


China is going to officially abandon any birth control restrictions. Thus, the state abruptly changes its policy in this regard, offering its citizens to have as many children as possible. This should prevent a demographic catastrophe of a completely different kind, which the Chinese authorities feared in recent decades. But it can change the demographic face of the planet.



pixabay
pixabay
Victory at a high price

The new draft civil code, which is prepared by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will have no points related to family planning. This news appeared in the main newspaper of the country, People's Daily. This is not just reversal of the demographic policy by 180 degrees, but also a curious paradox. Being now socialist only by name, China will return to the well-forgotten old with regard to fertility: the times of the "big leap" and the "cultural revolution".

Then, Comrade Mao Zedong himself urged to get as many children as possible: after all, the more Chinese, the more gravediggers of capitalism. But by the end of the life of the Great Helmsman, the party began to make attempts to curb the rampant population growth that continued despite the famine, repression and irresponsible economic experiments. And after Mao's death, with the beginning of the reforms, the implementation of the slogan "one family - one child" became the idea fix for the state.

We will settle the new world

Now China occupies the first place in the world not only in terms of the number of people, but also in the number of old people. Their number in 2014 for the first time exceeded 15% of the population, and by the middle of the century, it will increase to one-third if the demographic trend is not reversed, according to the estimates of the United Nations. Hence, there is an increase in the retirement age (discussions about this are in full swing in the PRC), health care costs will also grow. All this cannot but affect the high rates of economic growth, the pledge of maintaining political stability in China. The ideas of socialism with Chinese characteristics, perhaps, do not enjoy universal support in the country. But while the Communists can ensure economic growth, and hence, the welfare of the people, there won’t be much of people who would want to challenge communists’ right to be in power.

The only way out is to increase the birth rate. The Chinese are already allowed to have two children; the official press is seriously discussing the idea of punishing childless couples. The problem is that the average Chinese household considers it now possible to have a child if they have a certain, rather high level of income, often above the average. At the same time, if the Chinese family wants to have a child, then there will be only one. And many do not want children at all. They, like many in Europe, believe that it is much more pleasant to spend money on their own comfort and career than on improving the demographic situation in the country. By the way, this style of life also fits into the party's new line aimed at stimulating consumption.

source: cnn.com