China to Improve Population Policy Based on Actual Conditions

　　Experts in China are suggesting a looser population policy is unlikely to create a surge of new births.

 

　　The suggestion is being made amid potential plans by the government to loosen up this country's family-planning rules this year.

 

　　CRI's Lucy Du has more.

 

　　China's family planning authority is on record saying it will gradually improve its population policies in accordance with actual conditions.

 

　　Deng Haihua is a spokesperson for the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

 

　　"Ample research and survey has been made on the adjustment of the existing policy. The commission will gradually improve the policy to adapt to economic and social development as well as the population development in the long run."

 

　　The comments come on word authorities might be looking to relax this country's family planning policies, commonly known as the "one-child" policy.

 

　　As it stands now, if a couple are the only child of the family, they're allowed to have two children.

 

　　New regulations under discussion might allow for two-children to be born to a family where only one of the parents is the only child.

 

　　Zhang Yi is a demographer¹ with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

 

　　He says he believes a relaxed policy won't mean an explosion in the population.

 

　　"Under current policy many parents who are allowed to have a second child given that they are both the only child in their separate families have given up the idea. So even the policy is further loosened, not a lot of couples would choose to have a second child, due to their living pressure brought by the surging house price and the mounting cost to nurse a child."

 

　　Official stats show the birth rate here in China is still below international levels, with an average of 1.8-children being born to a family, compared with 2.1-children globally.

 

　　China is also facing an aging society.

 

　　Yuan Xin is a professor from the Institute for Population Studies at Nankai University.

 

　　"Small-sized families are venerable facing natural or man-made disasters. If the policy can be relaxed to some certain degree, it won't bring too much effect to the overall control of the population, but can effectively improve the structure of a single family. It benefits to the education and personality of children if they can have siblings²."

 

　　Most analysis is suggesting population figures here in China will peak at 1.5-billion people by 2025.

 

　　It's believed that around 400-million less people have been born in China since the "one-child" policy was first introduced in the late 1970's.

 

　　For CRI, this is Lucy Du.

1 demographer   

n.人口统计学家

参考例句：

• Professor Antonio Golini is a demographer at the University of Rome. 罗马大学安东尼奥教授是位人口统计学家。 来自互联网
• Demographer William Frey says immigrants with young families will help keep the United States competitive. 人口统计学家佛瑞表示这些年轻的家庭会帮助美国保持竞争力。 来自互联网

2 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分