China reports about 8 million of annual population growth at present and expects to realize zero population growth (ZPG) in the mid 2030s.

National Population and Family Planning Commission director Zhang Weiqing said on Tuesday that China's present birth rate was 1.8, which means each couple has less than two children. Based on the present level, China will have 16 million newborns each year. China's current mortality rate is 0.6 percent; therefore, China's net population growth is about 8 million annually.

According to Zhang, the present birth rate does not mean China's population will stop increasing. "We reckon that China may realize ZPG in the mid 2030s."

Zhang indicated that at the present stage, China should persist in the basic national policy of family planning. Population experts estimate that the family planning policy has reduced over 400 million births by the end of 2005.

(China News Service March 22, 2006)