China scraps controversial one-child policy; couples can have two

BEIJING — More than 30 years after China imposed its controversial “one-child” policy, Beijing's ruling Communist Party brought the program to an end Thursday, saying all couples would now be allowed to have two children.

The decision to remove the restrictions limiting most couples to a single child was made "to improve the balanced development of (China's) population," the party said in an official communique distributed by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. The announcement came as the party wrapped up a Beijing meeting about China's development plans for the next five years.

The restrictions were introduced in 1980 to aggressively cap the number of children Chinese couples could have in an attempt to reduce the burden on resources amid the country's rapidly expanding population.

Change in China's one-child policy unlikely to bring population boom

But in recent years the policy has been gradually relaxed as the country has experienced three decades of economic growth and struggles with an aging population. Younger generations also feel less compelled to accept high levels of state involvement in their private lives.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the policy change is a “positive step,” but “we also look forward to the day when birth limits are abandoned altogether.”

“The United States in our work around the world continues to oppose coercive birth limitation policies, including things liked forced abortion and sterilization,” he said. “This would fall in the category of policies that are directly related to universal human rights.”

Amnesty International warned Chinese women will remain at risk of intrusive birth control methods and forced abortions. The organization said it has continued to receive reports of coerced abortions — which are illegal — and sterilizations in recent years.

“The move to change China’s one-child policy is not enough," William Nee, China Researcher at Amnesty International said in a statement. "Couples that have two children could still be subjected to coercive and intrusive forms of contraception, and even forced abortions – which amount to torture."

“The state has no business regulating how many children people have," he added.

Within minutes of the announcement in China, the news went viral on social media. Many were unhappy with the change, saying they were now too old or poor to have a second child, while some noted they didn't support the shift because it could mean more damage to the environment and a greater drain on social services.

“I still remember the day 20 years ago, when some officials from local government grabbed me like a criminal and forced me to get my tubes tied. Now, the day I can have the second child has finally come, but I am too old. I am so sad!” said a 50-year-old Sina Weibo user — China's equivalent to Twitter — by the name of "Jang-Soyeon."

Others were excited the change had finally been made. A user named "Aiyichupin," 29, from Beijing, took to the micro-blogging service to say that the "government should have abandoned the insane one-child policy years ago. The day has finally come.”

Key events in China's family-planning policy

The United Nations estimates that as a result of China's falling birth rate its population will age faster than many other developing countries, and the decline will not stabilize before the middle of the 21st century.

Within seven years, India's population (now 1.3 billion) is expected to surpass China's (currently 1.4 billion), according to the U.N. China is currently the world's most populous nation.

China announced in 2013 that couples could have two children if one of the parents was a single child. In Beijing, more than 53,000 couples applied to have a second child after the capital city altered its one-child policy early last year, Xinhua reported. Of those, 48,392 couples were approved.

China maintains its one-child policy led to 400 million fewer births and lifted millions out of poverty because of the lighter demand on resources. However, some researchers say its birthrate would have fallen anyway as China’s economy developed and education levels rose, pushing more women into the workforce.

Hjelmgaard reported from Berlin.

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