China's one child policy was established by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1979 to

limit communist China's population growth. Although designated a "temporary

measure," it continues a quarter-century after its establishment. The policy limits
couples to one child. Fines, pressures to abort a pregnancy, and even forced
sterilization accompanied second or subsequent pregnancies.
It is not an all-encompassing rule because it has always been restricted to ethnic Han
Chinese living in urban areas.Citizens living in rural areas and minorities living in China
are not subject to the law. However, the rule has been estimated to have reduced
population growth in the country of 1.3 billion by as much as 300 million people over its
first twenty years.
This rule has caused a disdain for female infants; abortion, neglect, abandonment, and
even infanticide have been known to occur to female infants. The result of such
Draconian family planning has resulted in the disparate ratio of 114 males for every 100
females among babies from birth through children four years of age. Normally, 105
males are naturally born for every 100 females.
Recent Effects of the One Child Law
Now that millions of sibling-less people in China are now young adults in or nearing their
child-bearing years, a special provision allows millions of couples to have two children
legally. If a couple is composed of two people without siblings, then they may have two
children of their own, thus preventing too dramatic of a population decrease.
Although IUDs, sterilization, and abortion (legal in China) are China's most popular
forms of birth control, over the past few years, China has provided more education and
support for alternative birth control methods.Statistically, China's total fertility rate (the
number of births per woman) is 1.7, much higher than slowly-declining Germany at 1.4
but lower than the U.S. at 2.1 (2.1 births per woman is the replacement level of fertility,
representing a stable population, exclusive of migration).
In 2007, there were reports that in the southwestern Guangxi Autonomous Region of
China, officials were forcing pregnant women without permission to give birth to have
abortions and levying steep fines on families violating the law. As a result, riots broke
out and some may have been killed, including population control officials.
The Future of China's One Child Law

Minister of the State Commission of Population and Family Planning Zhang Weiqing
confirmed in early 2006 that China's one child policy is consistent with the nation's plan
for population growth and would continue indefinitely. He denied rumors that the policy
become less stringent to permit a second child to the general population.
For more information about the One Child Law,
Advantages of China's One Child Policy
There are many economic and environmental advantages of that resulted due to the
implementation of the One Child Policy. The policy improved the overall economic
stability of the nation, who knows how bad things would be without it. It is said that the
policy created gender imbalance and inequalities, however it is evident that the policy is
the reason for China's current economic positon.
A drastic measure was necessary in order to secure the survival and well being of
China's well being.
The One Child Policy slowed down China's increasing population growth problem. It
lowered the population density in the eastern part of China. China's hope for a quickly
raising per capita income, would not have been achievable without the use of such an
extreme measure.
Other advantages of the One Child Policy:

In can increase the food supply

It can result in more resources for children development

Better health care for families

Overall better living standards

Increased saving rate: the average family expends fewer resources due to fewer
children

Maintaining a steady labor rate

Reduces unemployment (more jobs available due to decrease in population)

Disadvantages of Chinas One-Child Policy
March 25, 2009 by rhee71 3 Comments Evaluation, Research
There are several disadvantages to Chinas one-child policy.

1.

The one-child policy rule has made a preference in China for male
babies over female babies even worse. This has caused cases of
abortion of baby girls, neglecting girl babies, abandoning them, and
even killing them.

2.

Some parents, instead of killing or abandoning their girl babies, offer

them for legal or illegal adoption. Sometimes the parents sell the girls.

3.

Because of the bad actions against girl babies, 114 boys are born for
every 100 girls. Because of this imbalance, some men cant find women
to marry. This has lead to kidnapping and sale of women for
marriage. It has also increased the number of prostitutes and the
number of men who go to them, and the cases of sexual diseases.

4.

In some areas, Chinese officials forced pregnant women who didnt

have permission to have a baby to get abortions or be sterilized. They
made families who violated the one-child policy pay steep fines.

5.

Before people can marry, they have to be tested. If they are called
unsatisfactory because of a physical or mental condition, they cant
get married or have children.

6.

Because of the one-child policy, a single person can be supporting both

their parents and their four grandparents. This forces the parents and
grandparents to depend more on retirement savings or pensions, which
many people dont have. If those fail, everything depends on the one
child. If that child cant support their family, or if the one child dies, the
parents and grandparents will have no one to help them, and no money
to support them.

7.

The one-child policy also causes the 4:2:1 ratio, where a married
couple has to support all four of their parents and their child. This
means that two people are responsible for supporting seven people in
their family!

8.

Because of the one-child policy, plus better health care, there are more
and more older people, and fewer young people in the work force to
support them. This will affect Chinas economy, as well as the wellbeing of the people.

9.

Because they only have one child, some parents over-indulge

them. These spoiled children are called Little Emperors by the
Chinese. The Chinese worry that these children wont be willing to
support their family.