BEIJING — Facing a future demographic crisis and aging society, China’s leaders are desperately seeking to persuade couples to have more children. “The low birthrate has everyone on edge, yet the local governments care only about collecting fees,” journalist Jin Wei wrote on her verified Weibo account. The situation the couple faces has its roots in decades-old fears that China’s population would outstrip its resources, along with the ruling Communist Party’s all-consuming fervour to control people’s most personal decisions. In 2016, the one-child policy was officially replaced with a two-child policy and Chinese couples were urged to go forth and multiply — within limits. China’s population is estimated to peak at 1.442 billion in 2029 and then gradually decline, potentially fulfilling the conventional wisdom that China will grow old before it grows rich.

Source: National Post February 18, 2019 01:07 UTC