Later, longer, few”- china’s slogan to promote family planning
In the wake of China’s one-child policy, which was implemented to combat the famine that struck the land, China was left with an ageing population (estimated to rise to around thirty-five percent in 2050), a shrinking workforce, and criticism regarding the forced sterilisation of women.
To deal with the adversities, China moved on to the two-child policy which caused little to no benefits.
With a possible demographic crisis awaiting the nation, China's third child policy has been introduced, which is the subject of a lot of speculation. With the current policy, china aims to improve the population structure. The measures are following a once-a-decade census that showed the slowest population growth since the 1950s.
However, the exact birth figures were not disclosed.
India is also likely to surpass China in terms of population by 2022.
According to Yue Su - principal economist
Even though the declining numbers may not seem much right now, the economic growth may take a hit in the coming years
What would the reforms be?
Only twelve million births were recorded in the previous year, a figure almost as low as the number around the time of the famine of 1961. To combat these alarming revelations, china plans to reverse its previous ideology of promoting fewer births. Some include increased childcare support and policies that would be in the parents' interests.
The country plans to keep more people in the workforce through a raise in the retirement age. It also plans to give benefits for the welfare of the elderly.
Disadvantages of the third child policy
Yao, a member of a group of economists who consulted President Xi Jinping, believes
We’d better prepare for an ageing society, that is the destiny of East Asian societies.
Having children, in general, is expensive, and the cost is exceptionally high in China. It doesn't help that additional factors like healthcare in China are far from affordable.
Multiple polls and researches suggest that people’s desire to have more children isn’t relatively high, due to the high financial costs associated with children. People are also less inclined towards the same due to decades worth of persuasion on the part of the government, convincing its citizens that fewer children are better for families, as well as the nation.
There is a shortage of helpers in the country and hiring a nanny could cost up to six thousand yuan per month. Since many potential parents work long hours, it is impossible to raise children and balance their work-life without any sort of domestic help. China has promised incentives, but the citizens are still unclear about what exactly would they entail, and when would they be implemented. China would also have to spend about 5% of its GDP on the said incentives.
The birthing policies have always been subjected to a lot of disapproval globally since they take away an individual's choice and privacy regarding the way they want to have children. . In fact, Amnesty International has stated that these policies are a violation of sexual and reproductive rights.
The population goal is selective at best, considering evidence of Uyghur births being discouraged through forced methods in Xinjiang, meaning that the government cares only about the Han population.
Moreover, Moody’s Investors Service, among many others, believes that the policy is unlikely to change the birth rate massively, even if it does improve the fertility rate. Many say that just like the previous policies, this one won't dramatically increase the population and that there are better alternatives to do the same.
Gender discrimination - a consequence of the birth altering policies
Yaqiu Wang said,
Many women have taken to the internet, the media and the courts to tell their stories of workplace abuse
According to an HRW report talked about by CNN, the birth policies aren't favourable to women because they make them seem like a liability in the job sphere. This is because it is assumed that they would be taking long maternity leaves for their childbearing obligation to the nation, which is inconvenient for a workplace.
Hence, women have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to birth policies. During the one-child rule, there were numerous reports of forceful sterilisations, abortions and abuse when the rules were not adhered to, especially in the Xinjiang region.
With each shift in the policy, Women are treated more and more like birth incubators, previously coerced to produce fewer children, and now told to birth more.
The sexism is especially witnessed in the workplace, the hiring process being discriminatory and pregnancy-based termination being practised. Even though multiple laws regarding anti-discrimination have been passed, loopholes exist that result in there being little to no change in the current situation of women in China.
With China's third child policy in place, it is estimated that the gender gap will continue to widen.
Benefits of the third child policy
The announcement by the Politburo of the CCP’s Central Committee.
Further optimising the birth policy, implementing the policy of one couple can have three children and supporting measures are conducive to improving China’s population structure, implementing the national strategy of actively coping with population ageing, and maintaining China’s human resource endowment advantages.
Even though many critics disapprove of the new policy, it is undeniable that it will bring benefits to those who wish to have multiple children. Now that the republic's focus is on increasing the population, people would be able to plan their families in a much-relaxed manner. Since it is in the nation's best interest, china will do everything in its power to make the policy work, including providing better living conditions to potential parents.
Back when china's birth policies were based on the notion that 'less is better,' there were reports of fines being imposed on people who exceeded the birth limits. These fines would even take up the entire family income, in some cases. These fines won't be implemented in regards to the new third child policy in China.
The government has also promised incentives in the form of better housing, education, childcare and tax policies. If these reforms are implemented, they will not only bring financial aid but also will better the lives of children.
Conclusion
Once the total fertility rate slips below 1.5, a country falls into the low fertility trap and is unlikely to recover, which means that the total population will soon start to decline
The third child policy in China is the subject of a lot of scrutiny at the moment. People are unsure of what exactly to think of it. Even though the policy is born out of the nation's interest and not the citizens, the relaxation may benefit the residents immensely. China's third child policy may improve the lives of its citizens up to an extent, even if it doesn't dramatically improve the population structure per se.
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