More on population - China

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China Hopes To Cap Population

The Associated Press BEIJING (AP) - China hopes to cap its population at 1.6 billion by mid-century by persuading women to have fewer children and bear them later in life, a government policy paper said Tuesday.

China's one-child policy has already slowed growth of the population, currently the world's largest at 1.26 billion and growing by 10 million a year, according to the paper.

The current figure would be 300 million higher without the two-decade-old policy limiting urban couples to one child and farmers to two if the first is a girl, the report said. The policy allows ethnic minorities broader exemptions.

Greater education will help people realize smaller families can lead to higher standards of living, according to the paper. Since the one-child policy began in the 1970s, average family sizes have shrunk to 3.6 people per family from more than 4.8.

Higher social and economic status for women is also persuading them to have babies at a later age. In 1998, women were found to be putting off their first child until age 23.6, versus 20.8 years in 1970, the paper said.

Despite widespread efforts to skirt its controls, particularly in rural areas, officials said the policy must remain in place for the foreseeable future to keep China's population from spiraling out of control.

``If we relax our work in this regard, it is highly possible that this work will be undone,'' said Zhang Weiqing, director of the State Family Planning Commission.

China's communist government have put a high priority on slowing China's population growth as it tries to eradicate poverty and lift the nation's living standards.

The one-child policy, however, has been blamed for a host of abuses, including the killing of baby girls by couples seeking a male heir. Overzealous officials have also been accused of ordering forced abortions and sterilizing women without their consent.

Zhang called such instances aberrations and promised severe punishments.

Still, he conceded the traditional preference for boys was leading to an unnaturally high ratio of boys to girls among reported births, which he said China would try to correct through education by the year 2010. Chinese demographers say China has as many as 100 million more men than women.

-- JLS in NW AZ (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), December 19, 2000

Answers

Make one wonder what those extra 100 million men are going to do?

-- JLS in NW AZ (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), December 19, 2000.

Your in the Army Now, Not behind the plow Your digging a ditch you... Well you get the idea. China always has a "large" army.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), December 19, 2000.

Anybody who thinks unbridled population growth is way to go should visit India or China. After that experience I dont think they would wish a crowded lifestyle on anybody, especially their children or grandchildren.

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), December 19, 2000.

I just read a very interesting book on this subject, "Lost Daughter's of China". Has anyone else read this one?

-- kristen (kbhansen@msn.com), December 19, 2000.

Those 100 million men are going to come marching out of there one day soon.......looking for 100 million women.

-- JT Sessions (gone2seed@hotmail.com), December 19, 2000.


Read any books on China by Steve Mosher, including "A Mother's Ordeal" or "Broken Earth."

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), December 19, 2000.

I imagine if they keep having boys at the rate they are in fifty or a hundred years from now there will not be enough women for every man and they will probably start using women as breeding machines for multiple men. Otherwise, the population will drastically decrease. The number of women will be self-limiting for the population. A population can always survive with a dearth of men but not so easily women.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), December 20, 2000.

Colleen, you said "Otherwise, the population will drastically decrease." That is EXACTLY what they are trying to accomplish.

-- JLS in NW AZ (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), December 20, 2000.

Does birth control in China fall solely on the part of women? What is their policy about encouraging vasectomies for me. Give them a one-month pay bonus or something.

From TV programs, I understand China's policy is different than our welfare one. Here payments increase with each additional child. In China, it is the opposite on a very steep curve. Too many children can result in loss of your job.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 20, 2000.


The Chinese already have a problem of too many men for too few women. I've seen several reports of kidnapped women. Doesn't matter if they're married or not, and often, that they're too young to be married. I seem to remember that most of the women taken went to remote rural areas. Don't remember exactly why remote and rural, but I think that it was due to fewer options anywhere nearby, AND because the remoteness was helpful in concealing the kidnapees. Apparently the neighbors turned a blind eye.

I also believe the actual kidnapping was done by others and the victims sold to the men/families (the families are just as involved as the individual men). As is all too common, the women's wishes were given no consideration.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), December 20, 2000.



I believe this is similar to the Kentucky Fish and Game position on control of the Deer population. The rules would change to control rather then lower when numbers show it is time.

-- Nick (wildheart@ekyol.com), December 20, 2000.

Nick:

Interesting concept. Now the rural policy is to allow two children if the first was a girl. It could be reversed to where if the first is a son, you can have a second child. Chances of a girl are about 50/50.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 21, 2000.


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