BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's lawmakers on Tuesday highlighted the importanceof continuing family planning when discussing a bill on easing the one-child policy.
Members of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) held paneldiscussions about a bill on easing China's decades-long one-child policy, which would allowcouples to have two children if either parent is an only child.
The bill was submitted by the State Council, China's cabinet, to the NPC StandingCommittee's bi-monthly session on Monday.
"Easing the one-child policy does not mean we will abandon family planning. Rather, it isalso a measure for family planning," said Chi Wanchun, an NPC Standing Committeemember, at the panel discussion.
It is right to adjust family planning policy in the face of new circumstances, but it is equallyimportant to strictly implement family planning policies so as to ensure sustainablepopulation growth, Chi said.
Whether the one-child policy is eased or not, there are people violating family planninglaws and policies and they should be punished, he added.
"China still has a large population. This has not changed. Many of our economic and socialproblems are rooted in this reality," said Jiang Fan, an NPC deputy and member of theNPC Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. "We could not risk letting the populationgrow out of control."
While upholding family planning as an essential state strategy, lawmakers agreed with theState Council that the policy should be adjusted in the face of a steadily declining birth rateand changing demographics.
When briefing lawmakers about the bill on Monday, Li Bin, minister in charge of theNational Health and Family Planning Commission, warned that if the current familyplanning policy persists, the birth rate will continue to fall and lead to a sharp drop in thetotal population after reaching a peak.
The bill held that an increase in births is expected if the policy changes, but will not be big.
Sun Bin, an NPC deputy and farmer from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, agreedwith the State Council's assessment.
"Even in my village, people have changed their ideas about parenting. Many prefer havingfewer children and giving them better lives and educations. I don't think there will be avery fast increase," said Sun, who was invited to attend the panel discussion.
However, he said rural communities have felt the pressure of aging.
"Parents want their only child to go to cities, and so do the youth themselves. Now only themiddle-aged and elderly stay for farming," he said. "They are not well educated or skillfulwith modern agriculture."
If a family has more than one child, one of them might stay at home, he said.
The National Health and Family Planning Commission announced on Monday that the newpolicy is expected to go into effect in some provincial regions in the first quarter of 2014.
Lawmakers called on governments to fully prepare for the policy change.
In the bill, the State Council suggested that provincial congresses and their standingcommittees amend local family planning regulations after evaluation of local demographics.
"We should tread carefully. Every province should not rush to adopt the new policy if theirconditions are not ready, nor should they intentionally delay it," Jiang Fan said.
