Family planning as part of a national basic policy

Family planning is part of a national basic policy in China. It consists of specific measures that guide population planning. This policy was introduced in order to encourage citizens to postpone marriage and childbearing and reduce the number of children per couple as part of the strategy to control population growth and ensure that population growth would not outpace economic and social development.

This policy has been implemented since the early 1970s. It was reaffirmed as part of a national policy in China at the 12th CPC National Congress in September 1982 and incorporated into China's constitution in December 1982. China's population and family planning law was adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at its 25th session in December 2001. Family planning has allowed China to bring about an early historic shift in fertility patterns, effectively eased the pressure of population growth on resources and the environment, and greatly promoted economic development and social progress. The proper implementation of this basic policy has proven essential for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and building a prosperous country. It has also contributed significantly to global efforts to manage population and development issues.

The dawn of the 21st century was witnessing a change in the demographic structure, with a shrinking working-age population and an increasing number of elderly people. Against this backdrop, the Party Central Committee made a decision on further reform in November 2013 to allow couples who were themselves only children to have a second child. An amendment to the population and family planning law was adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in December 2015, and the across-the-board implementation of the two-child policy formally began on January 1, 2016.

Population is a strategic issue that requires long-term, holistic thinking. Family planning will remain part of a national policy in China for the foreseeable future. Gradual adjustment will help improve the policy and ensure long-term balanced population growth.

計(jì)劃生育基本國(guó)策

計(jì)劃生育政策是中國(guó)的一項(xiàng)基本國(guó)策，是政府在人口領(lǐng)域內(nèi)對(duì)人口婚育行為進(jìn)行客觀指導(dǎo)的具體措施。這一政策的初衷是提倡公民晚婚晚育、少生優(yōu)生，通過有計(jì)劃地控制人口，使人口增長(zhǎng)同經(jīng)濟(jì)和社會(huì)發(fā)展計(jì)劃相適應(yīng)。

中國(guó)自20世紀(jì)70初開始推行計(jì)劃生育政策。1982年9月黨的十二大將計(jì)劃生育確定為中國(guó)的基本國(guó)策，同年12月寫入《中華人民共和國(guó)憲法》。2001年12月全國(guó)人大常委會(huì)第二十五次會(huì)議通過《中華人民共和國(guó)人口與計(jì)劃生育法》。實(shí)行計(jì)劃生育以來，中國(guó)提前實(shí)現(xiàn)了人口再生產(chǎn)類型的歷史性轉(zhuǎn)變，有效緩解了人口對(duì)資源和環(huán)境的壓力，有力促進(jìn)了經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展和社會(huì)進(jìn)步。實(shí)踐證明，中國(guó)較好地實(shí)行計(jì)劃生育的基本國(guó)策，對(duì)建設(shè)中國(guó)特色社會(huì)主義、實(shí)現(xiàn)國(guó)家富強(qiáng)和民族振興產(chǎn)生了巨大影響，為促進(jìn)世界人口與發(fā)展發(fā)揮了重大作用。

進(jìn)入21世紀(jì)后，隨著人口結(jié)構(gòu)的轉(zhuǎn)變，中國(guó)勞動(dòng)年齡人口開始下降，老年人口保持上升態(tài)勢(shì)。面對(duì)這一形勢(shì)，2013年11月，《中共中央關(guān)于全面深化改革若干重大問題的決定》提出，啟動(dòng)實(shí)施一方是獨(dú)生子女的夫婦可生育兩個(gè)孩子的政策。2015年12月，全國(guó)人大常委會(huì)表決通過人口與計(jì)劃生育法修正案，“全面二孩”政策于2016年1月1日起正式實(shí)施。

人口問題始終是中國(guó)面臨的全局性、長(zhǎng)期性、戰(zhàn)略性問題。在未來相當(dāng)長(zhǎng)時(shí)期內(nèi)，中國(guó)將繼續(xù)堅(jiān)持計(jì)劃生育基本國(guó)策、逐步調(diào)整完善生育政策、實(shí)現(xiàn)人口長(zhǎng)期均衡發(fā)展。