Beijing: "One Child" slogans not friendly enough

Almost 30 years after the introduction of its infamous one-child policy (known within China as 计划生育, the "Planned Fertility/Birth" policy), Beijing's "National Population and Family Planning Commission" has decided reform the list of official slogans used to promote it.

The changes will see the introduction of 190 state approved one-child slogans, and the banning of a number of infamous poster, including one which commands farmers to raise livestock instead of children, one which which suggests that extraneous children are born only to die, and others that state that families who refuse to abort additional children will face the confiscation of land and property.

According to China's state media, the reforms have been introduced in order to give the one-child policy a friendlier face which will be better understood by China's population, particularly in rural areas where poor farming families commonly exceed the one child quota for reasons of culture or necessity.

However, China watchers have commented that the changes may be directed as much towards local/regional officials as towards the people. As such, officials are often accused of being overzealous in their enforcement of the one-child policy. With claims being made that they have forcibly sterilized rural woman, and have pressured families into abortions. Accusations have also been made that corrupt officials have enforced unjustified punishments and fines on families who have refused abortions, including the seizure or land and the demolition of homes.

China watchers have also noted that the list of 190 approved slogans includes those which attempt to break down traditional views that a son is more important than a daughter. A view which has, according to international groups, lead to the abortion of many female children by families whom wish their single permitted child to be a son.

One(ish) children

Despite common misconceptions, China's one-child policy is not absolute. Under current laws allowances have been for minority ethnic groups who are permitted to have additional children in order to prevent their ethnicity from being destroyed or diluted. Special dispensation for a second child can also be given to some classifications of rural family if their first child is a girl or is handicapped in some way, though only after a (typically) wait of 2 or more years.

Some regions, most notably the capital, also permited two only-children who marry to have two children of their own.

tags: china  birth control  fertility  sex  one child  one child policy  solgan  human rights  

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