Population control and the 12th 5-year plan - the view from Outlook Weekly
In 2010, China’s 11th 5-year plan will run its course. The debate about the aims and objectives of the 12th 5-year plan has already begun. In an editorial in the latest edition of the official Outlook Weekly, the author argues that population control will be an important component of the plan. This is my translation of the main points in the editorial:
‘The discussion on the place of the development of the population in the 12th 5-year plan has already begun.
The key issues are continuing to control population numbers; paying more attention to the quality of the population; and optimising the demographic structure. We need to accelerate the move from being a country with a big population to being a country with an able population.
Continuing with a low stable birth rate is still the first task of our plan for China’s population. The basic situation of our country is that with a large population, the average ability is low, and as a result society and the economy are not stable.
The stability and development of China depends on maintaining the low and stable birth policy in place. If this national policy wavers, the consequences will be deep and far reaching. Every level of government and the party should continue to implement the population control policy.
Improving the quality of the population is also an important objective. The number of disabled children being born is not small, and this is related to the falling number of married couples who take a medical check before they decide to have a child. We need to step up work to address this problem of birth defects. Providing nutritional supplements to village women during their pregnancy will be an important line of defence.
Another important objective is addressing the imbalance in the ratio of male and female children. This was a focus of the 11th 5-year plan but efforts have clearly been insufficient. In particular, we need to clamp down on the activity of checking the sex of unborn children and aborting unwanted girls.
We also need to address the issue of an ageing population. China will be the first country to face the problem of an ageing population whilst still going through the process of development.
At the same time, we need to face the issue of migrant workers. On the one hand, migrant workers need to be brought into compliance with population control policies. On the other, they need to be able to enjoy the same rights and benefits in terms of public services and worker protection that the local population enjoys.’
I think for lots of foreigners, the one child policy is one of the least palatable and most alien aspects of China’s social policy. There are certainly enough horror stories about the way in which the policy is carried out. I don’t follow this closely but I had the impression there were moves toward relaxing the policy - in part in response to the problem of an ageing population. This editorial - in a publication that is widely read by local party officials - appears to suggest the reverse.
There are also some positives in the story. Extending access to public services and legal protections to migrant workers would certainly be an important step forward for improving the quality of life for a large section of China’s population, and making a move from the countryside to the city possible for many more.