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Chinese Two-Child Policy To Be Implemented From 2016

By R. Siva Kumar | Update Date: Dec 29, 2015 02:41 PM EST

In the new year, China will end the one-child policy. The National People's Congress Standing Committee approved the legislation for the two-child rule to be implemented from Jan. 1, 2016.

"The state advocates that one couple shall be allowed to have two children," the recently changed Law on Population and Family Planning of China stated, according to CNN.This is in total opposition of the one-child policy China is known for.

While the top officials had announced the possibility of the two-child policy last October, they had waited for the National People's Congress approval for making it a law.

The reason is that while China has still got the maximum population in the world, with 1.37 billion people, its working age is declining, and by 2030, 85 percent of the population will remain at 65 years and above.

"To promote a balanced growth of population, China will continue to uphold the basic national policy of population control and improve its strategy on population development," the Communist Party announced in October. "China will fully implement the policy of 'one couple, two children' in a proactive response to the issue of an aging population."

It was in the 1970s that the one-child policy had been implemented in order to control the population. But while the government will not charge any more fines now, experts are not sure whether the new law would work.

"Couples that have two children could still be subjected to coercive and intrusive forms of contraception, and even forced abortions - which amount to torture," researcher William Nee said. "The state has no business regulating how many children people have."

A Sina News survey showed 29 percent agreeing to have two children each, of which 28 percent have not made up their minds. About 43 percent of the 164,106 respondents declined to have two children due to the expenses, said Shanghaiist 

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