Beijing’s governing body approved the city’s amended one-child policy on Friday, gradually relaxing the more than three-decade old guideline, making it the fifth place in China to do so. The amendment goes into effect on Saturday, March 1, and allows couples to have a second child if either parent is an only child.
Although it is a significant change, some restrictions remain. For example, a woman must be at least 28 years old, or the first child must be 4 years or older. Couples who plan to have a second child can apply for the birth approval, including those who were already pregnant before Friday.
"Beijing's average fertility rate has remained at one birth per woman for the past 18 years, which is much lower than the national average that stands at 1.5 and the replacement rate of 2.1," said Geng Yutian, deputy head of the municipal health and family planning commission. According to experts, a working population shrinks when the fertility rate is lower than 2.1.
Given the limited amount of eligible couples, sociologist Fang Xiangxin claims the new policy will not lead to a baby boom. “Actually, China will not see a [significant] rise in population until every couple has more than two children,” he added. The Beijing News reports that Beijing currently delivers 260,000 newborns every year and experts say about 54,200 extra babies will be added to the population every year in the first five years after the amendment and 40,000 more will be added every year after that.
The increase in births will put more pressure on services in the city of over 21 million people. "In the short term, they will pose more pressure on kindergartens and primary schools," said Geng, noting that since half of births in Beijing are concentrated in urban areas, the policy relaxation will be a particular strain on urban hospitals.
Wang Delin, vice chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress said the city’s government will provide support by improving hospitals, nurseries and primary schools. It will also protect women’s right to maternity leave.
Aside from Beijing, the Tianjin municipality and the provinces of Jiangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang have also adopted an expanded one-child policy. Guangxi, Hubei and Jiangsu promised they would also ease their policy starting from March. Other areas, including Hunan, Qinghai and Shanghai are expected to introduce the changes in the first half of 2014.
[Image via Flickr]
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