Week 10: China's One Child Policy

The one-child policy is the population control policy of the People's Republic of China. It allows exceptions eg. rural families can have a second child if the first child is a girl or is disabled. Families in which neither parent has siblings are also allowed to have two children. Residents of the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and foreigners living in China are also exempt from the policy. In 2007, approximately 35.9% of China's population was subject to a one-child restriction. In November 2013, the government announced that it would further relax it by allowing families to have two children if one of the parents is an only child.

This policy was introduced in 1979 to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems in China. Nonetheless, a 2008 survey undertaken by the Pew Research Center reported that 76% of the Chinese population supports the policy. The policy is enforced at the provincial level through fines that are imposed based on the income of the family and other factors. "Population and Family Planning Commissions" exist at every level of government to raise awareness and carry out registration and inspection work.

I think one of the possible effects of this policy on the Chinese society is that more abortions are being made in order to obey the policy and prevent being fined for having a second child. Mothers have to suffer by killing their child which has not even been born or even going to the extent of abandoning their newly-born child at an orphanage or leaving them at a secluded area where the baby might die if not found in time. In my opinion, I find it inhumane to make something in nature such as giving birth to a child into a policy. Although it is a solution to the problems faced by the country, I still find it heartbreaking that some mothers have to kill their own child in their womb or abandon them right after they are born.

Another possible effect is that the birth rate in China would go down as there is now a restriction, and less people getting married. One of the main purposes of getting married is to start a family. However, with this policy declaring how many children a couple should have and if disobeyed, a fine shall be put on the couple. Many people might get discouraged to get married lest they have a second child, whom they would have to abort or abandon. To avoid facing such a dilemma, they wouldn't get married in the first place.