China is the most populous
country in the world, with 1.30756 billion people
by the end of 2005, about one fifth of the world's
total. This figure does not include the Chinese
living in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative
regions, and Taiwan Province.
Moreover, the population density is high, with 136
people per sq km. This population, however, is unevenly
distributed. The eastern coastal areas are densely
populated, with more than 400 people per sq km;
in the central areas, over 200; and in the sparsely
populated plateaus in the west there are less than
10 people per sq km.
Family planning policy
Family planning has been promoted as one of the
basic state policies in China, the policy combining
government guidance with voluntary compliance by
citizens. The government guidance includes: formulation
by the central and local governments of policies
and legislation for controlling population growth,
improving the population quality and structure,
as well as macro population development plans. The
governments also provide consultation, instruction
and technical services concerning reproduction care,
contraception, good childbirth and good rearing.
Voluntary compliance of citizens means that couples
of child-bearing age, with the provisions of the
relevant state policies and regulations, can choose
appropriate contraception methods in a responsible
and planned way, in accordance with their age, health,
employment and financial situations.
Family planning has been promoted as one of the
basic state policies in China, the policy combining
government guidance with voluntary compliance by
citizens. The government guidance includes: formulation
by the central and local governments of policies
and legislation for controlling population growth,
improving the population quality and structure,
as well as macro population development plans. The
governments also provide consultation, instruction
and technical services concerning reproduction care,
contraception, good childbirth and good rearing.
Voluntary compliance of citizens means that couples
of child-bearing age, with the provisions of the
relevant state policies and regulations, can choose
appropriate contraception methods in a responsible
and planned way, in accordance with their age, health,
employment and financial situations.
The basic requirements
of family planning are late marriage and late
childbearing, having fewer but healthier babies,
especially one child per couple. But a flexible
family planning policy is adopted for rural people
and ethnic minorities. In rural areas, couples
may have a second baby in exceptional cases, but
must wait several years after the birth of the
first child. In areas inhabited by minority peoples,
each ethnic group may work out different regulations
in accordance with its wish, population, natural
resources, economy, culture and customs: in general
a couple may have a second baby, or a third child
in some places. As for ethnic minorities with
extremely small populations, a couple may have
as many children as they want.
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