Proper readjustment is necessary

    Jan. 6, 2005 was marked in China as the "1.3 billion populationday", when its 1.3 billionth citizen was born.

    China's one-child policy has successfully reined in its population growth and helped prevent 300 million births -- about the size of the U.S. population -- postponing the arrival of 1.3 billion population by four years.

    However, Cai said, it is necessary for China to make a proper readjustment of its current population policy when a reasonable population structure becomes more important than the pressure brought by population growth.

    Quite a number proposals to solve population problems were delivered at the forum such as raising the quality of China's labor force to make up the decrease in the quantity of labor force,and postponing the age of retirement.

    But most experts focused their attention on whether China should relax its strict family planning policy, changing the current policy of one-child-for-per-couple to the policy of two-children-for-per-couple.

    Professor Zeng Yi from the China Economic Study Center of the Beijing University proposed a two-children policy in future at the forum.

    Zeng suggested that women should be allowed to have their second babies at an age between 32 and 34.

    According to Zeng, his proposal may help slow down China's pace into an aging society and postpone the arrival of a population peak of 1.48 billion people to the year 2038.     

    Argument: a risk cost of readjustment    

    Zeng's proposal has aroused objection from a group of Chinese scholars and officials. Renowned Chinese economist Fan Gang said a relaxed family planning policy in China will lead to an additional population of 100 million or 200 million, a big challenge to the employment.

    Some other experts said the readjustment will surely bring about an unexpected expansion of population in China, which will terminate the low-birth rate.

    Yu Xuejun, director of the Policy & Law Department of the State Family Planning Commission, said at the forum that the readjustment will be based on the cost of increased population, which may result in many new problems including environment, employment and social securities.

    The government is greatly concerned with the balance between the advantage and cost of an readjustment to the family planning policy, said Yu, noting that it needs a scientific decision in China on whether the family planning policy should be changed or not.

    China launched the family planning policy in late 1970s, which requires one child for one family in cities, and allows two children for one family in rural areas if the first child of the family is a girl. The policy also lays no restriction to the number of children in families of ethnic groups. Enditem