China to Allow Couples to Have Third Child
Highlights:
♦ China implemented its one-child policy in 1980, when the Communist Party feared that the country’s growing population, which was approaching one billion at the time, would impede economic progress.
♦ It was enforced in a variety of ways, including financially incentivizing families to have only one child, making contraception widely available, and imposing sanctions on those who violated the policy.
♦ Chinese authorities have long hailed the policy as a success, claiming that it helped the country avoid severe food and water shortages by preventing the birth of up to 40 crore people.
♦ However, the restriction of the only child is also a source of dissatisfaction
♦ Fears of a rapidly ageing population stifling economic growth compelled the ruling Communist Party to allow two children per married couple.