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China's family planning policy today.


 This paper reviews China's family planning (FP) policy and its progress and problems in reaching state goals. Opening with a brief description of the one-child policy introduced in 1979, the paper moves backward in time to a consideration of the historical perspective and government policy. The current situation is then described in more detail. It is noted that China's population of 1.14 billion in 1990 would have been 1.3 billion without FP and that China contains 22% of the world's population with only 7% of its arable land. The state hopes to limit the growth rate to 12.5/1000 in the coming decade but a birth peak is predicted, birth control work has progressed very unevenly, marriage and pregnancy under age 18 is still common in rural areas, and life expectancy has risen. Urban compliance is very high, but the desire to have sons is still strong in rural areas. Problems with the birth rate among the migrating population are being addressed by the requirement that migrants produce "FP cards" before applying for residency permits. It is believed that female infanticide is still practiced in rural areas and that eliminating son preference would reduce the overall birth rate. While many couples rely on sterilization, the government is conducting research on new forms of the IUD (the most popular contraceptive) and vaccines and is encouraging the use of condoms. Most contraceptives are distributed free through an extensive network of FP associations. China has faced international criticism for the potential abuse to human rights implicit in its one-child policy, but China maintains that it opposes forced abortions, forbids infanticide, and that the FP policy reflects a more humane response to the reality of China's situation than would allowing couples to have large families. While China's methods would not work in a more pluralistic society which extols individualism, China's success or failure will in large measure determine the future of the world.
