It's been long overdue!

Changes to China's strict one-child policy, which will allow more parents to have a second child, will begin to roll out early next year, state media said.

The policy change is expected to go into force in some areas of China in the first quarter of 2014, Yang Wenzhuang, a director at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, told the official Xinhua news agency.

Beijing said last month it would allow millions of families to have two children, the most radical relaxation of its strict one-child policy in close to three decades. The move is part of a plan to raise fertility rates and ease the financial burden on China's rapidly ageing population.

The one-child policy, though applauded by many for slowing down China’s rapid population growth, has been widely criticized for resulting in forced abortions and hefty fines that are sometimes used to enforce it.

Some critics say the law hurts China’s elderly, who typically rely on their children for support in old age, and even constrains economic growth as the working age population begins to decline.

“It is the right time to make changes. The low birth rate is stable, the working population still large and the burden of supporting the elderly remains relatively light,” Li Bin, minister in charge of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, was quoted by Xinhua as saying on Monday.

The State Council says authorities at regional level should amend family planning regulations after evaluating local demographics.

An increase in births is expected if the policy changes but will not seriously affect the food supply, public education, healthcare or employment, Li added.

Source

Oh what a welcome development for the Chinese people who do yearn to have more than one child. The *one child policy* is being STRICTLY adhered to, that pregnant women who already had a child, when discovered were forced to abort the foetus. Its a terrible sight that I do not even wish for my enemies.

uboma: Oh what a welcome development for the Chinese people who do yearn to have more than one child. The *one child policy* is being STRICTLY adhered to, that pregnant women who already had a child, when discovered were forced to abort the foetus. Its a terrible sight that I do not even wish for my enemies.

Lots of Chinese left China cos of that policy

^^^ Very true. That's the only option they had.

uboma: ^^^ Very true. That's the only option they had.

Yup!