Chinese Population

Chinese Population

1. What is the ‘one child policy’ and why was it felt necessary?

   • China was extremely poor when re-united under its first communist government in 1949. The then leader, Mao Zedong, was keen to encourage a fast-growing population-more people in China, the stronger the country would be. by 1960s rapidly expanding population threatened by series of famines and food shortages= hardships for Chinese. By 1970s the government feared rapid growth would hinder rather than help to advance the country’s economic prospects.
   • was out of these crises- government introduced 3 new voluntary policies-target slowing down any future population increase. by 1979 decided that voluntary policies were not effective enough, tighter set of rules were announced. These new rules came to be known as the ‘one child policy’. Officials hoped new policy would keep China’s total population to below 1.2 billion by the year 2002.
   • taking into account the one child policy, China’s total population continues to grow and is likely to continue to do so

2. Problems with the one child policy

   • While policy undoubtedly led to fall in rate of China’s natural population increase, number inconsistencies crept into practical operation. better-off Chinese couples can avoid limiting themselves to one child while poorer couples have no choice. particularly true in the richer, fast-growing cities such as Shanghai.
   • as China opens up more to the world (esp after 2008 Olympics), country becoming more aware of criticism from overseas. Traditionally, such criticism ignored by Chinese government with national media, including the internet, being tightly controlled by the government security services. as more Chinese gain wider access to electronic media, it harder for the government to control opinion within own population. awareness that many Westerners regard the one child policy as a ‘breach of human rights’ is more widely known.

3. The impact of the one child policy on China’s population structure

   • Despite criticisms and inconsistencies that surround one child policy, original aim to lower country’s birth rate is being achieved. 2005 mini-census stated total population now-1,306.3 million. annual growth rate-fallen sharply from 2.23%,1970 to 0.63%,2005, and Chinese population experts estimate that country’s total population now be over 1.6 billion if 1 child policy not been introduced.
   • China’s population structure is being altered for the worse. fewer children are being born, population starting to age. 1950 China’s population pyramid-developing country, by 2005 fewer children born corresponding growth in the middle-aged and elderly groups. Population experts set a total figure of 7% elderly as indicating ageing population. Already 6.95% of China’s population has reached this point and is projected to rise to 20% by 2050
   • growing gender imbalance. Males will outnumber females by 43 million by 2010. suggests that there may be a problem in rural areas in ensuring that female babies given same quality of early care as males since more females than males currently die in infancy.

4. Social concerns stemming from the one child policy

   • 1 criticism of 1 child policy is that its produced 3 generations of ‘spoiled children' grow into adults who lack any sense of social responsibility, having spent their childhood taking things for granted.
   • 2nd issue-shortage women of marriageable age in China. Statistics suggest by 2020 will-40 million unmarried men! Some sociologists may lead increase in criminal activity by frustrated bachelors such as kidnapping or trafficking of young women.
   • 3rd, while old people traditionally cared for by their extended families, could become problem as family size decreases. Already, claimed that typical middle-aged adult often has to care for up to 4 grandparents as well.strain on younger, working adults
   • Lastly, growing ageing population leads to decrease in proportion of active workers. This trend likely to accelerate from 2013, impact on China’s economy lead to fewer workers, lower tax revenues but demand for higher public spending on health care and welfare for old people.

5. A possible re-thinking of the one child policy

   • 2003 new generation of leaders took over China, debate on current population policies began. in the 30 years since the 1 child policy been introduced, country undergone huge change with fast economic growth, massive urbanisation, and rapid rural–urban migration.
   • first time in country’s history, new clause was added to the constitution ,March 2004, states: ‘the State respects and protects human rights’. Previously, the rights of the individual came secondary to the needs of the state.
   • recognised that rapid expansion of the cities was making the policing of the one child policy harder. estimated total of 1–2 million farmers had moved from their registered villages cities in search of work. Officials find these migrants hard to track, making enforcement of the one child policy difficult.
   • policy still officially in operation, interpreted more flexibly in some localities. Shanghai 13 ‘exceptions’ to having one child are now allowed, monetary fines are more widely imposed for disobeying local rules rather than physical abuses such as enforced abortions.
   • March 2003, new official body, State Family Planning and Population Commission, was set up to co-ordinate population control, and two other new institutions, Development and Planning Bureau and China Academy of Population and Development. monitor balance and distribution of the Chinese population along with employment trends and can make recommendations
   • By 2008, most urban couples still officially limited to one child but, in practice, two were permitted rural areas. May 2004 new commission introduced ‘reward programme’ to be trialled in 14 provinces. Farmers aged 60 or above whod respected the one child policy to the letter were to be awarded through a new pension scheme when retired. This payment could be up to 50 yuan per month (13 yuan = £1). encourage smaller rural families because state pensions are rare in rural China among self- employed peasant farmers who still make up a large proportion of the country’s working population.

6. The future