(Ecns.cn)--For more than 30 years, China has implemented its one-child policy established by former leader Deng Xiaoping to limit the country's population growth. As a temporary measure, the plan did help to slow population growth but it has also brought about negative effects.
The policy has not been all-encompassing since its implementation. It has restricted most families to having only one child since the end of the 1970s, but the traditional Chinese preference for boys means families in rural areas are permitted to have a second child if the first is a girl. Also, minority groups are not subject to the stipulation.
As China's economy develops and the fertility rate decreases, experts in China have warned of looming problems from an aging population, and gender imbalance stemming from aborted or abandoned baby girls.
Debate about policy change and family planning regulations' reform has grown over the years, but adjusting the policy and setting a final version are not easy tasks for government officials.
Currently in China, the structure of population and its number conflicts. China is turning into an aging society which needs growth in the birth rate to ensure a sufficient labor force in the future but, on the contrary, the large population base requires the population be limited.
"It is impossible to find a solution to solve both problems at the same time," said Di Zhenwu, standing vice-chairman of China Population Association. "At the moment, all we can do is to figure out which problem is more serious and put in place a plan to alleviate it."
In the 11th Five Year Plan (from 2006 to 2010), China continued its one-child policy, but during the 12th Five Year Plan (from 2011 to 2015), "the country will improve its current family planning policy, making it more suitable for the present situation," said Di.
"Many people have desired the adoption of a two-children policy , and cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou are ready to carry out such a plan, but it still remains to be seen how exactly a two-children policy will be put into effect," said a source from the National Population and Family Planning Commission.
The first pilot project for the two-children policy was expected to be implemented this year following the sixth national population census, but because of concerns over the credibility of the census results, the plan was suspended.
