China Aims To Reform Its Controversial One-Child Policy

During the 35-year period of China’s controversial one-child policy, many families were forced to endure and abide by this restriction. While the policy was abolished in 2016, it is still important to break down its effectiveness and legacy on China as a whole.

At first, the one-child policy was enforced to lower the high population number within China. To do this, the government would place fines on families with more than one child, risk the parents’ employment, and even force abortions for extra births. Another issue corresponding to the one-child policy was that many children were abandoned or left in orphanages because their parents feared the consequences of having additional children. Although the entirety of the one-child policy portrays an unethical front, it was certainly effective in reducing the population.

“One-child policy seems necessary in the first establishment of PRC, for the country to have a sustainable supply of food for citizens,” said Robert Y., a senior at AISG.

However, the government saw this policy as an error due to the increased aging population and decreased active labor force within the country. In order to become economically competitive and improve domestic industries like tech, China needed to reform this policy and boost its population numbers again. As such, they implemented the two-child policy. Yet, the introduction of this policy did not garner the results that the Chinese government sought.

In August of 2021, the government reformed the policy again into a three-child policy. Still, there were unprecedented issues that followed. For one, Chinese couples were concerned regarding the financial costs and burden of raising a child, particularly in urban cities. Even more so, many young couples did not want children at all. Another factor was that Chinese women were more likely to pursue a career and education first prior to starting a family. In addition, Chinese families were accustomed to being smaller due to the effects of the one-child policy over generations. While the policy is slow in creating an ideal effect, the Chinese government hopes to see a rise in population numbers, especially in rural areas and communities that may be more inclined to have larger families due to their traditional values.

“The one-child policy was needed when it was formed,” commented Bobo L., another senior at AISG. “But now that times have changed, the government is making changes and adapting to support their own economic growth.”