China's “One-Child” Policy

Abstract

More than 30 years ago, in what appeared as an open letter to members of the Communist Party and the Communist Youth League the Chinese government announced its “one child, one couple” population control policy. This, the most ambitious policy of its kind in world history, has changed the place of the People's Republic of China in the global economy. The policy has achieved remarkable success by curbing population growth, aiding economic expansion, and raising the population's standard of living. While China has made incremental changes in its “one-child” policy, its discontinuation is not on the nation's agenda in the foreseeable future. The author discusses positive and negative consequences of this policy and identifies the challenges for China in decades to come.