Family
Planning
China’s
family planning policy combines
government guidance with the wishes of the masses. The basic
requirements of family planning are late marriages and late childbearing,
so as to have fewer but healthier babies, especially one child per
couple. But a flexible family planning policy is adopted for rural
people and ethnic minorities; in rural areas, couples may have a
second baby in exceptional cases, but must wait several years after
the birth of the first child. In areas inhabited by minority peoples,
each ethnic group may work out different regulations in accordance
with its wish, population, natural resources, economy, culture and
customs: In general a couple may have a second baby, or a third
child in some places. As for ethnic minorities with extremely small
populations, a couple may have as many children as they want.
Profound
changes have taken place in the people's viewpoints on marriage,
childbearing and the family. Late marriage, late childbearing and
fewer but healthier babies are the accepted norms of most people
in China. Now the people have a common understanding that there
is no difference between a son or a daughter. It has become a custom
to set up a small happy, harmonious family, and pursue a scientific
and civilized life style. Meanwhile, family planning has helped
Chinese women get rid of the burden of frequent childbearing and
the heavy family burden after marriage, thus raising women’s status
and improving the health of both mothers and children.
