There are several things we think we know about China, but that we in fact do not understand well. The One-Child policy is one example. I am bringing this topic up as recently various events prompted my interest.
A few days ago, a worker came to our house to fix our table. As usual, our conversation topics, limited by my failing Mandarin skills, turned around my son. After answering the regular set of questions, I prompted him with similar ones. I was very surprised to hear that he had two children of different ages (thus not twins). My curiosity aroused, I asked him if he had two wives. He laugh and went on a long explanation that I could not understand fully.
So I conducted my own personal research about the One-Child Policy and its implementation.
Introduced in the late 70's to control the rising numbers of the Chinese population. It was intended to alleviate social, economic and environmental problems that would only increase if the population was allowed to grow at its original pace - which was of about 5 children per women. The Chinese government said it has since prevented more than 400 million birth. Its critics are saying that it is responsible for the high girl abortion rate, force sterilizations, and the population's gender imbalance.
The policy is mainly enforced by heavy fines based in relationship to the families income. In addition, the government carries out inspection and registration work (subtext here reads as in some instances you might have to present certificate of non-pregnancy, or be obliged to disclose contraceptive measures used). Families can choose to brake the rules of the policies, but the costs, not only financial, are enormous for a middle class citizen. Parents who are civil servants will most likely loose their jobs and titles. The family has to pay for the education of the child, but also for the health care of all the members of the family. Children born illegally, who are not registered will be denied a Hukou (family registration), education, a national ID and probably many more things a regular Chinese citizen might need to make his way into life. The Hukou determines what and where a person can do in life.
As I was asking questions around, and reading here and there, I came to realise that the One-Child Policy does not always apply. Supposedly, as per the information provided by the Committee of the One-Child Policy, only 35,9% of the Chinese population is concerned by the restriction.
There are several different types of exceptions. Families issued from one of the 26 official minorities are granted exceptions from that rule. Tibetans, Uyghurgs, and many other less known minorities can benefit from this exception. In most rural areas, families who have as first child a daughter can have a second child. For example, Henan is a province with such exception. Second children are subject to birth spacing (usually 3 or 4 years apart). This came as a possible solution to the massive girl abortion and girl orphan rates in the rural areas. These rates are specially high as a boy is not only the heir of the family but also a social insurance for the old age of the parents (as opposed to a girl who will go live with her in laws). The second-child exception was also proposed as the practice of the adult child taking care of its aging parents and grandparents was becoming difficult to bear by one single individual. Indeed, the one-child policy leaves the older generation with more of a dependency on retirement funds or charity, as the state welfare is limited and sometimes failing.
Recently, in the regions affected by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, families who lost their child, or those who were disabled or severely injured were given exception from the policy. It is a specially significant policy, as more than 23 000 children went missing after the earthquake. Recently, children both issued from a single child family are now allowed to have two children. Finally, children returning from abroad are not subject to the policy. And children born abroad from Chinese parents and not seeking Chinese citizenship are also excepted. Since early 2007, there was some talk in the PRC to abolish the one-child rule or to at least soften it to a two-children policy.
We can think of several consequences due to these policies. They are not all bad, neither all good. The deep core of the issue is related to the control of the population, and comes with negative connotations. But we might want to ask ourselves how could such a large country, with such a large population, could alleviate most of its citizens from poverty over three decades, if not partially thanks to its population control?
On the other hand, today kids are treated like "little emperors"... Already at the root a family centered society, in the single child family, the child easily become over-indulged or spoiled. For us, our experience of life in Beijing has translated as an easy one, where our child is surrounded, appreciated, and given attention as we would never have expected. Despite all this attention and the criticisms of a spoiled generation, as the first generation of one-child policy children (born in the 1980s) reaching adulthood, it is difficult to see that they are less equipped for life in general.
As for us, now that I am pregnant again, I see envious glances in our direction. Family values are still running high. Old ladies congratulate us proudly for taking on an extension to ours. They even ask us for when would be the third one!!! Until I give birth, we can only offer them a smile, feeling blessed by our freedom of choice.
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