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[CrazyDude]

BEIJING, China - China will loosen its decades-old one-child policy by allowing two children for families with one parent who was an only child and will abolish a much-criticized labour camp system, its ruling Communist Party said Friday.

The changes were part of a key policy document released by the official Xinhua News Agency following a four-day meeting of party leaders through Tuesday in Beijing. The document also seeks to map out China's economic policy for coming years.

The labour camp — or "re-education through labour" — system was established to punish early critics of the Communist Party but now is used by local officials to deal with people challenging their authority on issues including land rights and corruption.

Pu Zhiqiang, a prominent Beijing lawyer who has represented several former labour camp detainees in seeking compensation, welcomed the abolition of the extra-legal system.

"There have been many methods used recently by this government that are against the rule of law, and do not respect human rights, or freedom of speech, but by abolishing the labour camps ... it makes it much harder for the police to put these people they clamp down on into labour camps," Pu said.

"This is progress," Pu said.

China's family-planning policy currently limits most urban couples to one child and allows two children for rural families if their first-born is a girl. It also allows two children for parents who themselves are both singletons.

The new policy will allow two children for families where only one parent was an only child.

The Chinese government credits the one-child policy introduced in 1980 with preventing hundreds of millions of births and helping lift countless families out of poverty. But the strict limits have led to forced abortions and sterilizations, even though such measures are illegal. Couples who flout the rules face hefty fines, seizure of their property and loss of their jobs.

Last year, a government think-tank urged China's leaders to start phasing out the policy and allow two children for every family by 2015, saying the country had paid a "huge political and social cost."

The China Development Research Foundation said the policy had resulted in social conflict, high administrative costs and led indirectly to a long-term gender imbalance because of illegal abortions of female fetuses and the infanticide of baby girls by parents who cling to a traditional preference for a son.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/State+media+China+will+loosen+1child+policy+abolish+labour/9170196/story.html

 

[Ovek]

I sure hope China can feed there impending population boom.

 

[perfectchaos007]

"allowing two children for families with one parent who was an only child"

So an only child who grew up with an absent father/mother will be allowed to have 2 kids. That's a baby step

 

[Trojita]

Ender's Game viral marketing.

 

[jerry1594]

I sure hope China can feed there impending population boom.

The country was on it's way to a population crash before this. Now it will hopefully stabilize and result in less girl abortions.

 

[Nesotenso]

"allowing two children for families with one parent who was an only child"

So an only child who grew up with an absent father/mother will be allowed to have 2 kids. That's a baby step

I read that as if one of the parents was an only child, then the couple can have two kids.

 

[kiunchbb]

Nevermind I read this wrong, so as long as one of the partner is only child, the couple is allow to have 2 kids. Too bad I had a sister, otherwise I would finally be popular

Alternatively, if you are rich and does't care about employment, you can just pay the fine and have as much kids as you want.

 

[Elchele]

don't get the hate, the (1 child) policy worked in China. And it should be applied in most third world countries.

 

[LuchaShaq]

Nothing wrong with 1 child policy, only with how people tried to get around it.


The global population growth trend is impossible to maintain without catastrophic consequences.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Labor camps were being used by local officials to deal with people challenging their authority on issues including land rights and corruption.

I had no idea that was happening. What a horrible fate that would be.

 

[KillerMan91]

I sure hope China can feed there impending population boom.

They are going to have opposite problem soon enough. Huge amount of elderly because decades of one child policy. Pretty sure the reason why they are now starting to open up the policy.

 

[perfectchaos007]

I read that as if one of the parents was an only child, then the couple can have two kids.

oh okay, yeah that makes more sense.

 

[CrazyDude]

They are going to have opposite problem soon enough. Huge amount of elderly because decades of one child policy. Pretty sure the reason why they are now starting to open up the policy.

And gender imbalance.

 

[FODEA]

"allowing two children for families with one parent who was an only child"

So an only child who grew up with an absent father/mother will be allowed to have 2 kids. That's a baby step

There will be more steps. 1 child is not the replacement rate, the Chinese Gov wants the taxpayers to be able to fund their OAS stuff.

 

[Archer]

don't get the hate, the (1 child) policy worked in China. And it should be applied worldwide.

edited

 

[jerry1594]

edited

It's really only a problem in third world countries. Can't think of first world countries with an exploding population.

 

[lenovox1]

I sure hope China can feed there impending population boom.

They're more concerned with their impending labor divot. From NPR News:

The new birth policy is intended to promote "long-term balanced development of the population in China," according to the Communist Party announcement, which was reported by China's official Xinhua news agency.

NPR's Frank Langfitt tells Morning Edition that the change means "another 10 million people would be able to have a second child."

But, he adds, "half would maybe do that — because, you know, raising a child in China is now very expensive. So not everybody really wants a second child, particularly in urban areas."

Frank notes that the policy has been unpopular for years, but there may be a more practical reason for the easing of rules: demographics.

"China's labor is peaking, and state demographers have actually been talking to the central government for years begging them to change the policy, and they say, 'We're going to head into a real labor shortage coming up because of the policy,' " Frank says.

Plus, 51.9% of the Chinese population was male in 2011, according to a CNN report, causing more population problems that will have ramifications in China's future.

 

[CornBurrito]

Nothing wrong with 1 child policy, only with how people tried to get around it.

What exactly do you do if a couple has a child already? Expect them not to have sex? Birth control isn't 100% effective and with so many couples you'd be bound to get at least one getting an unexpected second pregnancy. Then what? Force them to abort?

 

[Trojita]

I didn't realize the current rule allowed two people, that were lonely children, to have two children.

 

[Bleepey]

don't get the hate, the (1 child) policy worked in China. And it should be applied in most third world countries.

Perfect idea. Except for the fact when you have a high infant mortality from basic shit like Cholera, these parents are going to be fucked come old age should they survive that long, then you have the fact these kids are needed to work. These kids aren't a resource burden but a resource.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

I would've only supported this measure had there been a reversible means of birth control (Like tying tubes) after one child's birth. I don't support backalley sterilizations and abortions, and if the child happens to pass away or have a condition, mothers should be given a second chance.

 

[Darklord]

Honestly, I think their pollution problem is a lot worse than the 1-child policy. The smog is insanely bad, little kids are contracted lung cancer just from breathing the air. They just ignore it.

 

[yongeandcollege]

don't get the hate, the (1 child) policy worked in China. And it should be applied in most third world countries.

Ridiculous, the government should have no say over my reproductive system. My body my choice.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Err, ending labour camps? Really? I don't see it happening. Communism or more generally totalitarianism doesn't work with out re-education through hard labour.

 

[NJDEN]

The time for building is over, now China needs soldiers!

 

[hipbabboom]

China needs to introduce state-mandated otaku culture. That'll take care of that over population tiff of theirs lickity-split!

 

[KillerMan91]

And gender imbalance.

yeah that too. Although as far as I have unterstood the situation about that has gotten better with the economic boom. China is actually well ahead its developed neighbors (south korea and Japan) when it comes to equality between genders.

 

[Tacitus_]

What exactly do you do if a couple has a child already? Expect them not to have sex? Birth control isn't 100% effective and with so many couples you'd be bound to get at least one getting an unexpected second pregnancy. Then what? Force them to abort?

Well, yes. This is China we're talking about. Parents were already aborting girls because a boy would be better suited to care for them when they're old. There are some nice articles on the subject and what it meant for the demographics in China.

 

[Kenka]

don't get the hate, the (1 child) policy worked in China. And it should be applied in most third world countries.

Jupp.

The fuck. What are saying ? You want to limit population growth in third-world countries by removing their rights to have children ?

 

[BigDug13]

Maybe they should have had a disclaimer on the new policy. More than one child*

* - if the additional child is female.

They need to actually promote having girls, not just relax policies that will still cause families to prefer sons.

 

[lenovox1]

Maybe they should have had a disclaimer on the new policy. More than one child*

* - if the additional child is female.

They need to actually promote having girls, not just relax policies that will still cause families to prefer sons.

You could already have a second child if your first is female due to earlier loosening of this policy. You can't ensure that any additional child is female without introducing the element of forced abortion, which is illegal in the country.

 

[jerry1594]

yeah that too. Although as far as I have unterstood the situation about that has gotten better with the economic boom. China is actually well ahead its developed neighbors (south korea and Japan) when it comes to equality between genders.

They are but he's talking about a demographic imbalance. Girls get aborted in favor of having a male child.

 

[Lich_King]

In other news, all western companies make a deal with North Korean government to move all of their factories there. Because free market doesn't work without labor camps.

 

[Real Hero]

We really need less kids

 

[Ether_Snake]

don't get the hate, the (1 child) policy worked in China. And it should be applied in most third world countries.

No it didn't. Without the proper social establishments and norms, forcing one-child policy is bad for the kids. Even in the west in can have negative impacts for children to have no siblings or small families, especially in poor families.

 

[Josh7289]

Good news for Chinese citizens. The country is making progress.

 

[speculawyer]

Small steps in the right direction.

They really need to address their environmental mess.

 

[fallagin]

Good stuff, hopefully they continue in this direction.

 

[kmax]

The day democracy sees the day of light in China, it will be one if not the most progressive country in the world. Such a great nation with fantastic potential.

This is great news.

 

[Trojita]

The day democracy sees the day of light in China, it will be one if not the most progressive country in the world. Such a great nation with fantastic potential.

This is great news.

 

[Cow Mengde]

Perfect idea. Except for the fact when you have a high infant mortality from basic shit like Cholera,

As I recall, if you child dies, you can have another one.

 

[Cagey]

Long-term Chinese demographics are an utter disaster. Their population is going to rapidly age and rapidly shrink, leaving a huge labor and welfare problem.

This is an attempt to reverse course.

http://www.economist.com/node/21553056

The difference between 1.56 and 2.08 does not sound large. But over the long term it has a huge impact on society. Between now and 2050 China's population will fall slightly, from 1.34 billion in 2010 to just under 1.3 billion in 2050. This assumes that fertility starts to recover. If it stays low, the population will dip below 1 billion by 2060. In contrast, America's population is set to rise by 30% in the next 40 years. China will hit its peak population in 2026. No one knows when America will hit its population peak.

The differences between the two countries are even more striking if you look at their average ages. In 1980 China's median (the age at which half the population is younger, half older) was 22. That is characteristic of a young developing country. It is now 34.5, more like a rich country and not very different from America's, which is 37. But China is ageing at an unprecedented pace. Because fewer children are being born as larger generations of adults are getting older, its median age will rise to 49 by 2050, nearly nine years more than America at that point. Some cities will be older still. The Shanghai Population and Family Planning Committee says that more than a third of the city's population will be over 60 by 2020.

This trend will have profound financial and social consequences. Most obviously, it means China will have a bulge of pensioners before it has developed the means of looking after them. Unlike the rest of the developed world, China will grow old before it gets rich. Currently, 8.2% of China's total population is over 65. The equivalent figure in America is 13%. By 2050, China's share will be 26%, higher than in America

 

[Aylinato]

don't get the hate, the (1 child) policy worked in China. And it should be applied in most third world countries.

Worked by making the population get rid of most of the female babies, if that's what you meant.

 

[Empty]

i knew china's human rights record left a lot to desired but i didn't realize they still used labour camps (til now)

 

[Cow Mengde]

Worked by making the population get rid of most of the female babies, if that's what you meant.

This is only because in China, the males are valued over females. It's the down side to our culture and family structure. Men are obligated to inherit everything in the family and pass down their family line. In a country without this stupid bias, you wouldn't have this issue.

 

[Enkidu]

yeah that too. Although as far as I have unterstood the situation about that has gotten better with the economic boom. China is actually well ahead its developed neighbors (south korea and Japan) when it comes to equality between genders.

No, if we are talking about sex ratios then China is far worse than South Korea or Japan. For children 0-14 Japan has a ratio of 1.08 males per female, South Korea 1.09 and China 1.17. Both Japan and South Korea are slightly inflated (the natural ratio is 1.05) but China is by far the worst. In terms of fertility rates though China, despite it's one child policy, is better than either.

 

[KillerMan91]

No, if we are talking about sex ratios then China is far worse than South Korea or Japan. For children 0-14 Japan has a ratio of 1.08 males per female, South Korea 1.09 and China 1.17. Both Japan and South Korea are slightly inflated (the natural ratio is 1.05) but China is by far the worst. In terms of fertility rates though China, despite it's one child policy, is better than either.

Oh yeah. There is still definitely imbalance between boys and girls in china but I was actually talking about overall equality between genders where weirdly enough China is ahead of SK and Japan. Pretty weird for sure after reading for years stories about abortion of girls and the huge gender imbalance.