To raise the family planning work to a new level--a comprehensive introduction to the National Family Planning Working Conference]

The National Family Planning Working Conference convened on August 10-16, 1982 in Beijing, China. Among the 250 conferees were family planning representatives from various provinces, cities, autonomous regions, the People's Liberation Armt, representatives of partial progressive areas, counties, communes, the Central Committee, State Council, All China Women's Federation, All China Federation of Trade Unions, journalists and population theorists. Topics of discussion included the current situation of family planning work, how to implement the Central Committee's directive on improving family planning work, and the relationship between population law and population development by the year 2000. On August 18 Premier Zhao Ziyang told various representatives at a meeting that population control was a longterm national policy and emphasized its importance in long-range economic and social planning. The Vice-premier of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wang Shoudao, implored the representatives to understand the directive's contents and said family planning would serve later generations. The Chairman of the National Family Planning Commission, Quian Xinzhong, reviewed the current population situation, noting the encouraging fact that the birth rate for the first 6 months of 1982 was higher than the first 6 months in 1981 by only 1/1000. In order to raise birth control work to a new level, he suggested the following steps: strengthen family planning propaganda; strenuously follow the policy of 1 child per family; obtain permission to have a 2nd child; oppose unplanned births; establish various birth control responsibility systems; and improve contraceptive research and techniques.     

The National Conference of Propaganda Work on Family Planning held Beijing]

The National Conference on Propaganda Work in Family Planning, held in Beijing from November 1-6, 1982, was sponsored by the the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the National Family Planning Committee. Among the 136 participants were representatives from various provincial, city, and autonomous region propaganda and family planning units, the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army, general trade unions, All China Women's Federation, Communist Youth League, and propaganda reporters. The purpose of the conference was to discuss how to organize family planning propaganda in meeting China's goal of limiting the population to 1,200,000,000 by 2000, and how to arrange a Family Planning Propaganda Month for early 1983. The Chairman of the National Family Planning Committee made 3 points: family planning is a basic national policy, greater propaganda efforts must be made towards peasant family planning, and everyone must work hard to create a new situation in family planning work. The Vice Minister of the Propaganda Department remarked that family planning propaganda was foremost among the 12 national propaganda topics; these sentiments were supported totally by the representatives of the women and youth groups. The Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Central Committee said that family planning work was longterm, and that its success lay in the countryside. Finally, the Vice Chairman of the National Family Planning Committee encouraged all delegates to take the spirit of the conference back to their home. During the conference delegates also met to discuss important points in planning the Family Planning Propaganda Month.     

Comprehensive understanding of "truth of China's family planning practices"

This is an account of the tour by 25 U.S. Congressmen to the Peoples' Republic of China in November 1986 to determine the degree of coercion in the family planning program. 1st, the delegates attended a conference in Beijing, introducing the family planning program in China, lead by the minister of the China State Family Planning Commission. Then they had talks with researchers at the Population Research Centre. The group split up and some inspected the Nanjing Institute of Family Planning Management. Others went to Shanghai and visited the International Peace Hospital of Maternity and Child Care. 2 delegates travelled to a rural community in Jiangsu Province. Thus, the congressmen and women got a wide exposure of central authorities and local organizations. A spokesman for the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee emphasized that the few incidents of coercion were exceptions, contrary to policy, and greatly spectacularized in the western press. Some cases were merely a variety of management style, and were dealt with by admonition. Women usually go for abortions on their own request. Those who have unplanned births are subject to social pressure and taxation. China's population policy must be respected as it is designed to meet her particular needs.     

A brief introduction to China's family planning programme

China's family planning program is described in reference to its goals, approaches, and achievements. Between 1949-83, China's population increased from 541 million to 1,024,950,000. The population has a young age structure, and the median age is 22.9 years. 80% of the population is rural, and 90% of the population lives in the southeastern region of the country. In view of this demographic situation, the government recognizes the need to control population growth. China's goals for the year 2000 are to increase industrial and agricultural input by 400% and to keep population size below 1.2 billion in order to ensure that per capita income increases. In accordance with these goals, the government, in 1979, began advocating a 1-child policy. To ensure the survival of single children, the government also launched a program to upgrade maternal and child health (MCH). In some rural areas and among certain minority groups, the 1-child restriction is not applied. Family size goals will vary with time. These variations will reflect the need to maintain a balance between economic growth and population growth. A variety of incentives are used to promote the 1-child family. For example, single children receive medical and educational benefits, and in some rural areas, the parents of single children can obtain additional land contracts. Economic disincentives are also used. The government seeks to obtain compliance with the policy primarily through educating the public about the consequences of uncontrolled population growth. All channels of the mass media are used to deliver the messages, and the publicity campaign is especially intensive in rural areas. A comprehensive plan to provided family planning and population education for middle school students is currently being implemented. Each local area develops its own fertility control plan. This plan is then incorporated into the nation's overall plan and the overall plan is implemented from above. Family planning workers bring free contraceptives directly to the people, and family planning motivators are found in almost all villages, neighborhood committees, factories, and military units. As a result of these efforts, China made great strides in controlling population growth and improving MCH during the last decade. The birth rate declined from 27.93 to 18.62, and the total fertility rate declined from 4.01 to 2.48. 124 million couples were practicing contraception by the end of 1983. 41% used IUDs, 37.4% relied on tubal ligation, 12.9% relied on vasectomy, 5.1% on oral contraceptives, and 1% on other methods. The quality of maternal and child care also improved. 92.7% of all deliveries are now performed by trained midwifes. Infant and maternal mortality rates declined considerablely in recent years. Currently the respective rates are 35.68/1000 live births and 0.5/1000 live births. In 1983 alone, the gross national agricultural and industrial output increased by 46.1%. Since 1979 per capita income increased annually by 18.3% among rural residents and by 10.7% among urban workers. China controls and operates its own population program, but in recent years, it increased its cooperation with UN Fund for Population Activities, other UN agencies, and nongovernment agencies. China recently completed its 3rd national census, and demographic research institutes have been established in 10 universities.     

Establishing legal system completely and controlling the excessive population growth]

China during the early years of Socialism concentrated on economic development. Population problems were given a low priority. But now, at this point in China's history, it is necessary to maintain the stability and uniformity of the birth policy through legislation, alter attitudes toward childbearing through legal education, and protect through laws the enthusiastic nature of family planning work of cadres. Without legislation, family planning work cannot endure. It is the proper time to promulgate "Family Planning Law", the body of laws written by the State Council after 5 years of research in family planning work. Critics of this view feel that conditions in rural areas are not ripe for such a law, or that because China is large and populous, laws are not the proper method for controlling population, or that legal restrictions would bring unforeseen consequences in the future. But China's population problem is immediate and dire, and conditions are indeed ripe for passing this law.     

Organization and implementation of China's national sampling survey on fertility and birth control

The Planning and Statistical Department of the State Family Planning Commission of China in July 1988 implemented a fertility and birth control survey in China on 2.16 million married women ages 15-57 using stratified, systematic, clustered, and non-proportionate sampling. 3 questionnaires were used: household, married women, and sample unit covering basic status, family planning status, general characteristics of pregnancy and contraception, population flow, deaths since 1981, and socioeconomic status. The authors suggest several international cooperative research projects including: design of fertility and contraception survey; Chinese population growth; Chinese population dynamics; dynamics of marital and family status; fertility; contraception and birth control; mortality; migration; status of the nationalities of China; population development; regional fertility status; and others. Data from the survey will be available in June 1989.     

To grasp the family planning program early, carefully and surely according to the law of reproduction]

China's February 1982 Directive on Improving Family Planning Work stipulated that family planning should be incorporated into national economic and social planning by understanding it early, carefully, and surely according to the law of reproduction. Understanding family planning early means to implement the policy of birth control as a primary goal, to plan early for births, and to carry out birth control measures, i.e., formulating a plan is the basis of understanding early. For example, the following must be considered when mapping out a plan for 1983: the number of fertile women who wanted children but who remained childless for 3 years of marriage; those who conceived late in 1982 and will deliver in 1983; the number of newlyweds over 23 years of age who have not planned a pregnancy; those with 1 child over 4 years who due to unusual circumstances will have a 2nd child; the number of people planning marriages before March 1983. The next step is to make arrangements, which include submitting individual requests, getting permission from communes and approval from the general public, and delivering contraceptives to the homes of newlyweds and mothers. 9 months after arrangements are completed, adjustments must be made, e.g., those who were unsuccessful in their plan to conceive this year will try the next year. To understand carefully is to understand the concept, circumstances, and data of family planning and thus be able to administer it scientifically. This means primarily controlling fertile women who are newlyweds, mothers of 1 child, and mothers of multiple children. To understand surely is to conform to the organization, concept, policy, planning, and measures of family planning. This means training basic level birth control cadres in population theory and methods of family planning. In addition, it means persuading the masses to be enthusiastic, diligent, fearless, understanding, and to show initiative toward family planning.     

The method of measuring probability of the annual fertility]

At the present time, under the guidance of national planning, population control is the most important theme of China's population policy. In order to realize the national goal of controlling population growth, family planning should be worked out at local levels. How to achieve a reasonable population planning norm at a local level is a very crucial problem in family planning work. Up to the present time, various methods have been used to measure the probability of the annual fertility. In his report, the author provides a new formula to calculate the probability of the annual fertility. Based upon this formula, we may calculate the number of planned birth for a certain year and its fertility. From the figure we may set a reasonable goal according to population policy and actual population components. This formula is suitable for use in annual planning, as well as short-term or long-term population planning.     

Change of population policy and the population situation in China]

A correct population policy is very crucial to the solution of the population problem, economic development, and social progress. The real situation in China now is a large population, a high rate of population growth, and low level of productivity. Facing this situation, China's population policy should include control of population growth in quantity, a promotion of population quality, and a match between population growth and social and economic development for the final realization of the Four Modernizations. In recent years, under the leadership of the National Committee on Family Planning, together with cooperation from various offices at the local level, a great change has taken place in China's population situation. The fertility rate has declined gradually, and late marriage, delayed births, and a reduced number of births have also become popular. A change in the age structure of the population has also slowed the pace of population growth. A reduction in the ratio of women of childbearing age is also helpful in the control of population growth, and the natural growth rate for the population has declined. This change shows that family planning is working in China and great results have been achieved. To come closer to the national goal of population control, practical work should be focused on rural areas. The rural population constitutes about 80% of total population and the fertility rate in rural areas is much higher than that of the cities. If population control can be achieved in the rural areas, the overall goal of population control for the country can then be achieved more easily.     

India's population: second and growing

Attention in this discussion of the population of India is directed to the following: international comparisons, population pressures, trends in population growth (interstate variations), sex ratio and literacy, urban-rural distribution, migration (interstate migration, international migration), fertility and mortality levels, fertility trends (birth rate decline, interstate fertility differentials, rural-urban fertility decline, fertility differentials by education and religion, marriage and fertility), mortality trends (mortality differentials, health care services), population pressures on socioeconomic development (per capita income and poverty, unemployment and employment, increasing foodgrain production, school enrollment shortfalls), the family planning program, implementing population policy statements, what actions would be effective, and goals and prospects for the future. India's population, a total of 684 million persons as of March 1, 1981, is 2nd only to the population of China. The 1981 population was up by 136 million persons, or 24.75%, over the 548 million enumerated in the 1971 census. For 1978, India's birth and death rates were estimated at 33.3 and 14.2/1000 population, down from about 41.1 and 18.9 during the mid-1960s. India's current 5-year plan has set a goal of a birth rate of 30/1000 population by 1985 and "replacement-level" fertility--about 2.3 births per woman--by 1996. The acceleration in India's population growth has come mainly in the past 3 decades and is due primarily to a decline in mortality that has markedly outstripped the fertility decline. The Janata Party which assumed government leadership in March 1977 did not dismantle the family planning program, but emphasis was shifted to promote family planning "without any compulsion, coercion or pressures of any sort." The policy statement stressed that efforts were to be directed towards those currently underserved, mainly in rural areas. Hard targets were rejected. Over the 1978-1981 period the family planning program slowly recovered. By March 1981, 33.4 million sterilizations had been performed since 1956 when statistics were 1st compiled. Another 3 million couples were estimated to be using IUDs and conventional contraceptives.     

Minister Wang Wei on family planning policy and population aging

Mr. Wang Wei, Minister-in-Charge of the State Family Planning Commission, was interviewed by the correspondent of the magazine "Outlook Weekly" on the 16th of last July in Beijing. Mr. Wang Wei said that the aging process of China's population could not be separated from the family planning program which was an important factor leading to China's population aging. He also said that population aging in China would have its limit as any development does. The aging of China's population is the manifestation of the contradiction between the unplanned and planned reproduction of its population. Population aging will disappear as soon as the contradiction is settled. Since the aging of China's population is caused by the decrease of children, one cannot only see the social burden aggravated by the relative increase in elderly population but should also see the social burden alleviated by the decrease in the absolute number of children. Only by doing so can one see the whole picture. The allegation made by some people that the social dependency ratio would increase due to population aging is groundless. Mr. Wang Wei does not agree with the viewpoint that China may relax its policy of family planning to some extent on the ground that population aging causes the decrease in the total social dependency ratio so as to ease the difficulties brought about by the rapid population aging. The basic state policy of striving to quadruple the gross output value of industry and agriculture and to control China's population at about 1.2 billion at the end of the century is the correct policy to solve the problem of population aging in China, and it is also the only alternative.     

A tentative discussion on family planning problems in Xinjiang's minorities]

The Uighur Autonomous region in Xinjiang includes a number of minority groups such as the Uighur, Kazakh and Hui. The question of how to implement family planning in minority areas if of utmost importance. In February 1982, the State Council decreed that family planning policy for minority groups could justifiably be more lax than for the Han people, who comprise a majority of Chinese population. Instead of advocating 1 child per couple, as is the current national policy, urban minority groups are permitted 2 (with exceptions, 3) children per couple and rural villagers are permitted 3 (with exceptions, 4) children. The 1982 National Census showed that the natural rate of growth for Xinjiang was 13.63/1000 (compared to the national rate of 11.45/1000) with individual minority growth rates as high as 20.11/1000. The area's gross output value cannot keep up with this population increase. Over half of Xinjiang's minorities are of the Islamic faith, which teaches that births are not self-willed. It is crucial to inculcate in them that births can indeed be planned. Also, their custom of early marriage (age 15 for girls and 16 for boys) which leads to a high fertility rate, must be changed. Although Xinjiang's land mass is great, only 38.4% is arable, so the common belief that its population can grow without limit is fallacious. When family planning was being implemented nationwide, for minorities it was only propagandistic. After the population growth for the majority Han was under control, the minority groups declared family planning programs would also benefit them. Symposiums were held contraceptive use became voluntary among many women. The birth rate fell from 22.5/1000 in 1981 to 14.09/1000 in 1985. Family planning also received approval from religious leaders. But because population distribution and growth are uneven in Xinjiang, family planning policy must reflect these differences.     

Methods of Estimation on New Born Baby and Construction of Monitoring System under the New Fertility Policy

Abstract： China＇s basic medical care system has achieved universal coverage, laced the system transformation with substance fair. Under the transformation background from universal coverage to integration on urban and rural areas, and the transformation direction from the ＂medical care＂ to ＂health for all＂, through the institutional transition path on system design, service delivery, financial support, this paper points out that how to improve quality of medical care and optimizing the level of health care services, match sustainable funding system and improving payment system, which in public health, medical services, medical care and medicine supply, realize the transtbrmation and the development from universal medical care to health care.     

Management and delivery of contraceptive in China

A major effort of China's family planning program has been placed on producing safe and effective contraceptives which should be made easily accessible to as many people as possible. Presently, the State Family Planning Commission (SFPC), the Ministry of Chemical Industry, and the State Drug Management Bureau share the responsibility for the planning, manufacture, and delivery of contraceptives. The SFPC's chief tasks are: 1) assessing the demand for contraceptives in order to provide industrial departments data for production planning; 2) assuming responsibility for the allocation of, and consultation regarding the uses of, contraceptives by administrative unit: 1st to the 2000 counties, then to 500,000 Xiangs, 6,500,000 villages, 5,000,000 villages' groups, and finally on to the users; 3) training the managers of contraceptive allocation at all levels; 4) examining the efficiency of usage; and 5) administering the annual appropriation from the government for contraceptives. Making plans for the demand for contraceptives is a key link for the delivery system. The plan is usually carried out by the most basic unit of administration (such as urban residents' groups, villagers' groups, or factory teams), according to the actual needs of the users. However, there are shortcomings in the existing system: 1) waste is serious due to free supply, and 2) the enthusiasm of the pharmacies to distribute is adversely affected since there are no economic benefits. Some pharmacies are reluctant to take on the distribution of contraceptives. Services in these shops are therefore poor, with little variety in products.     

Theoretical explanation of rapid decline in China's fertility]

China's fertility decline is widely acknowledged. The 1982 census and a random survey of 1/1,000th of the nation's population set the total fertility rate at 2.6%. Bureau of statistics data collected in 1984 showed the nation's birth rate as 1.7% and total fertility rate 1.94%. Friendly observers call this a miracle; others blame the decline on forced government family planning policy. Scientific pursuit of the causes for the decline is an issue of practical and realistic value. First, favorable conditions for fertility decline have been fostered by the socialist system and are deeply rooted in the country's economic development. China's industrialization and urbanization have brought new lifestyles and liberated individuals and families from the constraints of traditional family life. Couples have chosen to limit the number of children, to enhance the quality of life and education potential of their children, thus altering the traditional high fertility in China. Education of women has played a role in raising women's consciousness; a 1982 census placed the fertility rate of women with high-school level education or above, lower than that for less or uneducated women. Neonatal mortality rate decline is also related to the spontaneous decline in fertility rate, as high fertility has historically been intended to compensate for high child mortality rates. Welfare and social security systems for the elderly have also helped change the traditional mentality of having many children as assurance of life support in old age. Social organizations have accelerated knowledge and methods of planned fertility. Later marriages are also a factor: in 1970 the average marriage age was 19 - 20 and had increased by 1976 to 22 - 23. Other favorable social factors include free birth control and the view of population planning as an essential part of national welfare.     

关于长期稳定低生育水平的理论思考

《中共中央国务院关于加强人口与计划生育工作稳定低生育水平的决定》在实践上和理论上都有划时代的意义 ,也具有国际意义。稳定低生育水平必须加强人口统计学的研究 ,必须科学地掌握稳定低生育水平的数量关系和数量界限。低生育水平会有一定的负效应 ,要用科学的价值观全面衡量低生育水平的利害得失。总的来看利大于弊、利多弊少。低生育水平有利于人口、资源、环境的协调发展和社会的可持续发展。     

Thinking about several problems of the research of our family planning strategy]

On the basis of 1982 census data, it is estimated that from 1987-1997 13 million women will enter the age of marriage and child-bearing each year. The tasks of keeping the population size around 1.2 billion by the year 2000 is arduous. Great efforts have to be made to continue encouraging one child/couple, and to pursue the current plans and policies and maintain strict control over fertility. Keeping population growth in pace with economic growth, environment, ecological balance, availability of per capita resources, education programs, employment capability, health services, maternal and child care, social welfare and social security should be a component of the long term development strategy of the country. Family planning is a comprehensive program which involves long cycles and complicated factors, viewpoints of expediency in guiding policy and program formulation for short term benefits are inappropriate. The emphasis of family planning program strategy should be placed on the rural areas where the majority of population reside. Specifically, the major aspects of strategic thrusts should be the linkage between policy implementation and reception, between family planning publicity and changes of ideation on fertility; the integrated urban and rural program management relating to migration and differentiation of policy towards minority population and areas in different economic development stages. In order to achieve the above strategies, several measures are proposed. (1) strengthening family planning program and organization structure; (2) providing information on population and contraception; (3) establishing family planning program network for infiltration effects; (4) using government financing, taxation, loan, social welfare and penalty to regulate fertility motivations; (5) improving the system of target allocation and data reporting to facilitate program implementation; (6) strengthening population projection and policy research; (7) and strengthening training of family planning personnel to improve program efficiency.     

Current status of and prospects for China Population Information Centre

The China Population information Centre (CPIC), set up in May 1980, is a national institution for population information research under the State Family Planning Commission. Its main functions are to 1) collect, process, and distribute and foreign materials on population and family planning; 2) collect, tabulate, and analyze population and family planning data; 3) keep abreast of new population and family planning developments within and outside the country; 4) edit and publish information materials; and 5) provide information users with diversified services. The CPIC has 8 operational units: 1) the Library, 2) the Statistics Division, 3) the 1st Information Research Division, 4) the 2nd Information Research Division, 5) the Editorial Division, 6) the Translation Division, 7) the Computer Division, and 8) the Technical Support Division.     

论中国人口政策理论基础的发展

从计划经济到市场经济 ,中国改革开放取得了巨大成就 ,同时计划生育政策也取得了很大成功。在新形势下 ,中国人口政策的理论基础也必将有所发展 ,从两种生产理论到可持续发展理论正是社会发展的需要。