Childless citizens get cold shoulder in Beijing

(Ecns.cn) – They came from all over China, bearing a petition on behalf of more than 1,000 parents whose only children have died.

They got no response.

Formed by about 100 people who have lost their only children, the group sought help last month from the National Population and Family Planning Commission in Beijing, reports the Southern Metropolis Weekly.

Instead of receiving answers, they were ushered away for potentially inciting unrest.

The Guangzhou Daily estimates that the number of families in China who have lost their only offspring is probably more than 1 million. And because seniors rely so heavily on their kids to survive here, many have become desperate and are seeking financial redress.

Policy byproduct

China's one-child policy has proven effective at controlling the country's population, but it has also given rise to an aging society and an increasing number of bereaved parents who cannot have more children.

It is a great source of despair if a family loses its only child, especially when the parents are too old to have another, a grieving mother told the Southern Metropolis Weekly.

She joined the group because she believes that childless parents who have made contributions to the country should be given government assistance. But, to her surprise, they were targeted for potentially causing instability.

Wang Guangzhou, an expert in China's demography, says that if one member of a couple is older than 49 and their only child is deceased, they are "bereaved" according to the one-child policy and qualify for government compensation.

However, many complain that the compensation is too low to live on.

The subsidies vary greatly from region to region: In Hangzhou, parents receive 200 yuan (US$31.4) a month, while in Bishan County of Chongqing the payment is 1,000 yuan (US$156.9).

Such low payments have pushed childless citizens into action. Last month, many suggested that the government should use "social upbringing fees" to compensate bereaved couples. Such "fees" are fines paid by parents who break the rules and have more than one child, and there is already controversy over how those funds are used.

Once their only child is dead, parents will inevitably be confronted with elderly-care issues, says Mu Guangzong, a professor of population research at Peking University. Moreover, the pain of losing their only child may also lead to frequent quarrels and health problems.

Children are often the only hope for couples at such an age, when they are gradually losing the ability to work, says Wang Guangzhou.

Fragile structure

About 760,000 only children aged between 15 and 30 die every year, a number that will continue to grow, according to the Guangzhou Daily.

Accurate statistics are hard to get, but the number may reach about one million a year, making the situation more difficult to handle, says Mu Guangzong.

Some experts have also pointed out that it will increase public hostility towards the family planning policy if the problem is not solved.

China has a very large population, and its structure is becoming more fragile because most families only have one child, says Mu. The government must pay more attention to the issue.