Family Planning

Family planning has been one of China's basic state policies, combining government guidance with voluntary compliance of citizens. The central and local governments have instituted policies and regulations for controlling population growth, improving population quality and structure, as well as macro plans on population development. Governments should also provide consultation, guidance and technical services concerning reproductive care, contraception, healthy birth and positive childrearing. Couples of child-bearing age, guided by relevant state policies and regulations, can make arrangements for pregnancy and birth in an appropriate and responsible manner and choose appropriate contraceptive methods, taking their age, health, employment and financial situations into consideration.

The basic requirements of family planning: late marriage and late childbearing, having fewer but healthier babies, especially one child per couple. But a flexible practice is adopted for rural people and ethnic minorities. In rural areas, couples may have a second baby in exceptional cases, but must have an interval of years between the first and the second child. In areas inhabited by minority peoples, each community may work out its own regulations in accordance with its wishes, population, natural resources, economy, culture and customs. In general, couples may have a second baby, or a third in some places. As for ethnic minorities with extremely small populations, couples may have as many children as they wish.