China steps back from one child policy

China is taking the first step towards reversing its “one-child policy”, with the authorities in the second city of Shanghai now actively encouraging thousands of couples to have a second baby.

For the first time in decades, local officials in China’s economic capital have urged eligible parents to plan for a second child. The move was prompted by the city’s growing demographic imbalance and fears that the young generation will not be able to support the rapidly ageing population.

China has operated a strict "one couple, one child" policy for 30 years, carefully monitoring pregnancies and even forcing abortions on women who already have children to control a population that is the world's largest at more than 1.3 billion.

The appeal from officials in Shanghai is the first time in decades, however, that the government has actively encouraged procreation.

“We advocate eligible couples to have two kids because it can help to reduce the proportion of the ageing people and alleviate a workforce shortage in the future," said Xie Linli, director of the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Commission/

Zhang Meixin, a spokesman for the commission, said that there were already more than three million people over the age of 60 in Shanghai, or 21.6 per cent of the population. "That is already near the average figure of developed countries and is still rising quickly," he said.

By 2020, the proportion of elderly is expected to rise to 34 percent of the city’s population.

www.timesonline.co.uk...

Once the US falls, they'll have lots of room to expand right?



[edit on 24-7-2009 by warrenb]

With evidence mounting all the time that intelligence, character traits, and even voter turnout have a strong genetic component: www.scientificamerican.com... …

I think China would do well to use having a 2nd child as a form of tax-reward privilege.

This way they'll be even richer and more powerful in global affairs than they would be anyway.

There is nothing wrong with the rich having more kids than anyone else as it is a fact these kids (generally) are some of the most well educated-cultured citizens, as well as most likely future business starters-employers of others.

Eugenics please - those with exceptional traits - tax breaks for more children, for those with genetic defects - tax penalties.

Regardless of the weird aversion some have regarding the 'God given' right of procreation - natural selection is no longer a factor - our genetic heritage is within our own hands.

Lets see if China can capture the necessary measures to improve the genetic future.

Originally posted by warrenb

China is taking the first step towards reversing its “one-child policy”, with the authorities in the second city of Shanghai now actively encouraging thousands of couples to have a second baby.

Once they US falls, they'll have lots of room to expand right?

Damn I hate hearing news like this.

It really does show that they think we're finished; we might not be, but it's a terrible sign.

[edit on 24-7-2009 by BaronVonGodzilla]