The only ones:how China's single-child policy doubled the agony of parents

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Under the one-child policy, imposed in 1979 as a way of reining in population growth already running at dangerously high levels in the world's most populous nation, most families are limited to one child. The worst natural disaster to hit China in 30 years has brought the spotlight to bear on one of the country's most controversial policies of social engineering, and highlighted how this policy puts unbearable pressure on many families in contemporary China.

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Li Chunyan, 16, was one of the victims and her mother's grief is all the more poignant because the One Child Policy means that she, and many of the thousands of dead students in Sichuan, were the only children. And, being teenagers, means that for many families, there will be no more children. Chinese leave it late to have babies because they want to welcome their offspring into a stable environment. When your teenage children die, you are left alone.

The children of the One Child Policy era are cosseted and adored like youngsters nowhere else, because entire generations have their ambitions focused on the single child. Boys are known as "Little Emperors" and are generally surrounded by swooning aunts, uncles and grandparents, all of whom are ready to spend their life savings on giving this one child the best possible education and anything else he desires.

The One Child Policy is often viewed in the West as an attack on human rights, but there is growing debate about the policy in China too. The Beijing government reckons that since the policy was introduced, more than 400 million births have been prevented. The government says it has successfully slowed population growth to about 10 million people a year and there is now an average birth rate of 1.8 children per couple in China, compared to six children when it was introduced. In a country where famine is still in living memory, there were fears that the ever-rising birth rate would put too much strain on already-stretched resources.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-only-ones-how-chinas-singlechild-policy-doubled-the-agony-of-parents-828306.html

China is really 人山人海,

That's right, Mark, it wouldn't be OK to wait. I'm just saying that authorities shouldn't stop after introducing the law – they should work on changing social and informational environment of their people.

Green Alice – You are absolutely right, IMHO.

In chinese there is a slang means get ready an umbrella before rain.So we take this policy to aviod the human problem.But still bring someother social problems,for example,the husband and wife are both only-one child.They have to take care four olders and one child.this is 4-2-1 family structure.And their pressure is very big.

Yeah it was preventative measure and a good thing for the Chinese government to do.

I have heard they are loosening the laws somewhat – for instance, allowing farmers to have two children if the second child is a girl.

Yes, but think of all the men who are so sad because their only wives died in the earthquake. If they had two wives, or three wives, then they wouldn't be so sad. China's one-wife policy doubled the agony of widowed husbands!

The Chinese government has calculated that a stable maximum population of about 1.5 billion is about right.

To this end, if a male only-child marries a female only-child, they are permitted to have two children. It also eases the "4-2-1" problem mentioned by yangli.

The government officially announced today that people who lost their children in the earthquake would be permitted to have another child.

 There are pros and cons in China's single child policy.

The child will grow up to be like a little Emperor where everyone treat him or her like a precious gem. He'll not be able to learn to share, to relate and to love in return because all this while he is only on the receving side.

On the other hand, should the only child be taken away, the parents will suffer the most because their precious gem is no longer there for them to shower the love and care.

So, do you think you can blame the government for implement such a policy?

Don't changed the topic aljensen. 

The question is about the

agony of parents and not the agony of the husbands or wives?

Peace… I'm just defending my part..