China is to relax its policy of restricting most couples to having only a single child. In future, families will be allowed two children if one parent is an only child. The proposal follows a meeting of a key decision-making body of the governing Communist Party. Other reforms include the abolition of "re-education through labour" camps and moves to boost the role of the private sector in the economy.
China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth. But the policy has become increasingly unpopular and that leaders fear the country's ageing population will both reduce the labour pool and exacerbate elderly care issues. By 2050, more than a quarter of the population will be over 65. The one-child policy has on the whole been strictly enforced, though some exceptions already exist, including for ethnic minorities. In some cities, both parents must be only children in order to be allowed to have a second child. In rural areas, families are allowed to have two children if the first is a girl. Other exceptions include ethnic minorities and couples who lack sibling themselves. The policy has meant that one-third of China 1.3 billion citizens cannot have a second child without incurring fine.
