The one-child policy by the Chinese government
After the abolishment of the one-child policy, the Chinese government decided to adopt the two-child policy as a useful measure of population control. It meant that the government could only pay for subsidies for the first two children (Zeng, Zhang & Liu, 2017). Since its inception, its effects have been mainly regarded as speculative based on the trends it exhibits. It has proven to be the preferable concept in population control due to its impact on various dimensions. Despite various limitations, the policy seems speculative in addressing issues related to reduced abortions, the aging population, and a balanced sex ratio.
I think the one-child policy may seem unethical due to its limitation on the number of children one should have. However, I presume it has many portended positive effects on the country’s population, as mentioned above. Those opposing the policy have cited reasons such as infringement on personal rights to bear children. They have cited that it is against the majority’s wish to induce mechanisms that limit the reproductive health of citizens. These assertions compare with the prevailing situation in other countries such as Australia. Parr (2018) asserts that Australia has no policy that is barring its people from giving birth. The state encourages its population to record more births as a means of replacing the old age population. Therefore, China’s introduction of the two-child policy acts as a detriment to promoting the reproductive health of its citizens.
On the contrary, I presume that they fail to consider the adverse effects of the population on their well-being as a nation. An article by Liang, Niu, and Lu (2017) posits that China accounts for almost 18.47% of the world’s population. The number means that the country stands as the leading country in dependencies. Such amounts are due to various factors, such as unwanted pregnancies. Therefore, the implementation of the two-child policy will be useful in reducing the number of abortions procured due to unapproved pregnancies. It allows women to avoid the harmful effects of abortion since they may bear two children. That may not be applicable in the case of the one-child policy, which instead seemed stringent on the number of children one was allowed to have.
Besides, I think the policy may be suitable for achieving standard sex ratio in the future. Studies show that most Chinese have had preferences for the boy child as compared to the girl child. That largely informs the imbalance in the number of males as compared to women. Therefore, as the country attempts to achieve a healthy sex ratio, the two-child policy will be a crucial measure in addressing such. It will help ensure that families adopt sex-determining technologies in the future to create a balance between males and females at birth. In the event, that will reduce the imbalances at birth.
I also think the policy is a suitable means of addressing the aging population of China. According to Liang, Niu, and Lu (2017), China has an index more that goes beyond the conventional 10% of the total population above 60 years. Its population is aging, and that may have severe consequences for its labor force in the future. Am introduction of the two-child policy will be useful in reducing the number of aged in the population. It will allow for a moderate increase in new births to replace old persons in society. Consequently, I think the country may not experience shortfalls in the labor market in the future.,,