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China Window |
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Vol. XVIII x No. 5 JUNE 2006 |
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Zhang Weiqing, director of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, defends the “one-child policy,” saying: “The problem is not the law; this has led to the prevention of 400 million births.” The Chinese government “will only make minor changes” to its family planning policy that “must remain stable for the next five years,” said the director of the National Population and Family Planning Commission. Zhang Weiqing was defending the notorious “one-child policy” in an interview with the Beijing-based Study Times. "The current family planning policy must be kept basically stable, a fundamental measure to cope with China’s demographic explosion,” he said, adding: “China's rising gender imbalance is nothing to do with this policy; it is the fruit of an entrenched concept that boys are better than girls.” Chinese demography experts say there are 117 males for every 100 females born in China: a disproportion disconcertingly far from the global average of 104 males per 100 females. “Our family planning policy is not the reason for this situation because the real problem is pre-natal ultrasounds that give parents the chance to know the sex of their soon-to-be-born baby.” He continued: “Beijing’s priority is to improve the quality of life of the population, and to do this, it is necessary to control births: since the early 70s [when the birth control policy was launched], we have been able to prevent around 400 million births. The main challenge lies in changing the perception that boys are better than girls.” China’s population has risen by 3.2% over the past five years to reach 1.306 billion; with an annual growth rate of 0.63%, that is 8.09 million people, according to a study by the National Bureau of Statistics in November 2005.The number of children aged up to 14 years fell by 2.62% and that of people over 60 rose by 0.76%. The data reveals the risk of increased ageing in coming years. Meanwhile, males are on the increase, accounting for 51.53% of the population (+0.44% compared to five years ago), with a proportion of 106.3 men per 100 women. There is a noteworthy increase in migrants: +8.3% to reach a total of 147 million people who move from rural to urban areas to work. As a consequence, the number of urban residents is also on the rise (+6.77%). Since 1978, urban residents have been allowed to have only one child while peasants may have two. The country went from a rate of 5.83 children per couple in the 70s, to 2.1 children in 1990, to 1.8 now. The government’s aim is to have a population of no more than 1.37 billion by 2010. This policy has led to a high number of abortions, and killing of newborn female babies, to have a male who carries and passes on the family name. <WM / www.asianews.it The big risks "The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be." This old Chinese proverb can be interpreted in the following way: "The longer we stay in a disadvantageous position, the more risks we'll take." And this is precisely what will happen if China continues adhering to its one-child policy: Severe violation of human rights. Forced late-term abortions – sometimes in the third trimester of pregnancy – and female sterilizations are an unfortunate testament to the policy's strictness. Such zealous determination to carry out the one-child policy is a severe violation of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights in addition to principles IV and VIII outlined under the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Infanticide. China's one-child policy has resulted in sex-selective infanticide of young female children and babies. Chinese orphanages are filled with unwanted baby girls – and those are the lucky ones. Some parents leave their children to suffer a slow, painful death of starvation in hopes that the one-child policy will allow them to have a chance to give birth to a boy in China's male-dominated society. "China's little emperors." This is the term for the spoiled only-children – most notably boys – of Chinese couples. Because there is only one child for parents to dote on, the only-child becomes belligerent and lacks the self-sufficiency to perform tasks as simple as bathing -- upwards of age 10! Increasing obesity is another attribute of "China's little emperors," as feeding and doting go hand-in-hand. They grow up to be selfish adults who place emphasis on the individual (themselves) rather than the collective (China). Low female-to-male ratio. As a result of the female infanticide, a low female-to-male ratio has transpired in China. According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 117 boys are now born for every 100 girls – and that gap is increasing. What does this mean for China? It means fewer brides for their male counterparts as well as the fact that China is regressing to its patriarchal roots. Decreasing effectiveness. There is evidence of the policy's decreasing effectiveness. In rural China, there is an "unofficial, official policy" that farmers are allowed more children. This lenience is becoming more prevalent in urban areas as well. Government officials who take bribes, as well as other means of escaping the one-child policy, are common. Moving into a post-transition phase of demographic transition. Above all, the fact that China is moving into the post-transition stage of demographic transition is reason alone to cease the implementation of China's one-child policy. A post-transition society's stagnant or possibly declining population renders the policy useless because China's population will eventually settle on its own. <WM (Anita Li / Five Minutes to Midnight) Copyright © 2003-2006 World Mission Magazine |
"The
prevention of 400 million births"