China Passes 3-Child Policy into Law, Hoping to Reverse Demographic Decline

Aug. 21 - China's top legislative body has passed a three-child policy into law to encourage childbearing. The major policy change announced in May was passed Friday through an amendment to the country's Population and Family Planning Law, to increase the birth rate, as the country deals with a rapidly ageing population, the South China Morning Post reported. Local governments were encouraged under the revised law to introduce extra paid leave for parents with children under age 3, the South China Morning Post report added. Women commented on social media that the new policy would unfairly affect their employment and family life since women bear the responsibility of child care, Liu said in the article, adding that only a small minority were hopeful supportive measures would work. China's one-child policy was in place nearly four decades, preventing an estimated 40 million births by the time it was repealed in October 2015. The Chinese Communist Party replaced it with a policy to allow parents to have a second child. Demographer and senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing Huang Wenzheng told the South China Morning Post the new policy change is too little, too late.