Government and Policy

China's family planning policy to remain unchanged

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-20 17:51

BEIJING - China will keep its family planning policy largely the same for the next five years, said Li Bin, director of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, in an interview with Xinhua Monday.

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Keeping the birth rate low is still the priority given the country's large population and relatively scarce natural resources, she said.

Li said the policy would include more incentives, such as government subsidies for families who abide by the policy.

China has a migrant population of over 200 million, most being born after 1980s and now entering child-bearing age. Li said each locality should provide migrant groups with access to free contraceptive services and reproductive health checks.

She said the rapidly aging population and sharp sex imbalance among newborns favoring boys were just some of the population challenges China would face in the near future.

In the next five years, China's urban population is set to overtake its rural population due to massive rural-to-urban migration.