Li Weixiong
 

Population Control in the West
Li Weixiong, CPPCC National Committee member and director of the research institute of the State Family Planning Commission,

 
 

 

 

submitted a report entitled "The Issue of Population Remains a Key Factor for China's Sustainable Development in the 21st Century" to the NPC and CPPCC sessions. He pointed out in the report that vigilance against excessively fast population growth is the most economical and effective way to raise the western people's living standards. Otherwise the process of western development will be impeded.

Available data indicate that in the mid-21st century, there will be around 300 million childbearing women in China. Even if the current population policy is strictly and smoothly carried out, 19 million people will be born annually before 2010. The Chinese Academy of Sciences predicts that the Chinese population will reach 1.6 billion in 2030. At present, the natural growth rate of population in western areas is more than twice that in eastern areas. Due to the harsh living conditions in western areas, people have a relatively large demand for labor, especially male labor, in the struggle for existence. They try all possible means to have extra children. This, however, will impose a huge pressure on the region's socio-economic development, resources and environment. If the excessive growth of population is not curbed, the western development will apparently get half the result with twice the effort. Not only will the people's living standards not be improved rapidly, but also the resources and environment in the region will deteriorate.

Li believes that practical and effective measures should be adopted to revert the vicious cycle of "the poorer the more children, and the more children the poorer."  The same great effort as is devoted to economic development should be made in family planning work in the west, while continuing to encourage the practice of "one family, one child."

He said that in the western areas, especially areas inhabited by ethnic-minority people, the existing policy permits one couple to have two, three  or even four children. The government should advocate a more rational family planning program in line with the local environment, resources and social conditions. The government is in arrears with birth control surgery fees to such an extent that sometimes the locals have to take the initiative for the surgery. Compared with economic construction, the investment needed for family planning is small and, only a few hundred million yuan will significantly improve the work. Therefore, the input into birth control in the western areas should draw special attention, as it will bring huge and long-term benefits rather than disadvantages to the region.

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