Solutions

This video highlights the two-child policy solution.

To resolve the various issues created by the one-child policy, the Chinese government has already instituted some exceptions to the policy, such as allowing parents who are only children to have a second child; however, many argue that a further relaxation of the policy to some degree is needed.

The China Development Research Foundation, a government think tank, proposes that China adopt a two-child policy by 2015 and do away with all birth limits by 2020 (Olesen). There are those, however, who believe that that this gradual approach would still be “insufficient” to combat the problems the one- child policy has created (Olesen). Furthermore, a two-child policy is likely to be difficult for the government to promote, as many Chinese believe that having a second child is too expensive (Moore). Others are afraid that the “one-child culture is now so ingrained among Chinese that the authorities may not be able to encourage more births” (Chang).

Aside from a gradual approach, a more radical plan, which consists of “returning full reproductive rights” to the people of China, to replace the current policy is recommended by the Carolina Population Center (Chang). Yet, this idea has shortcomings as well, as reproductive freedom might lead to an “unwanted baby boom” (Chang).