There are high chances that China will finally relax its controversial one-child policy in the country, following many failed attempts in the past. According to latest developments, the top legislative body of China might approve the implementation early in 2014.
If the changes are made, this will mean that couples in China will be allowed to have two children if one of the parents was an only child. At the moment, both parents must be sole children in order to be eligible for a second child. Reports say that the State Council, China’s cabinet already submitted the bill on adjusting and improving the family planning policy in the country.
The bill has been submitted to the bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which is China’s most powerful decision-making body. If the new family planning policy is approved, then it will go into force in some of the provincial regions of China during the first quarter of 2014.
Yang Wenzhuang of the National Health and Family Planning Commission said that health and family planning authorities at different levels are assessing the risk of the new policy. The one-child policy was implemented in order to have the growing population under control, but was widely criticized for resulting in forced abortions and hefty fines.
Photo Credits: Telegraph UK
