Couples will now be
allowed to have two children, it said, citing a statement from the Communist
Party.
The controversial
policy was introduced nationally in 1979, to slow the population growth rate.
It is estimated to have
prevented about 400 million births. However concerns at China's ageing
population led to pressure for change.
Couples who violated
the one-child policy faced a variety of punishments, from fines and the loss of
employment to forced abortions.
Over time, the policy
has been relaxed in some provinces, as demographers and sociologists raised
concerns about rising social costs and falling worker numbers.
The Communist Party
began formally relaxing national rules two years ago, allowing couples in which
at least one of the pair is an only child to have a second child.
No comments:
Post a Comment