US Opinion and Commentary

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My Secret Life as a Forbidden Second Child in China

Posted February 4th, 2016 at 5:03 pm (UTC-4)
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I did not know what “against the law” meant — I was too young — but I knew I was a second child, since family and neighbors sometimes called me “little number two.” My mind raced with questions. Among my favorite toys, what should I hide first before those people came to demolish my house?

China: Have More Kids or Granny Gets It

Posted October 30th, 2015 at 1:11 pm (UTC-4)
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The question that is on the minds of most young Chinese couples isn’t whether to have one child or two. It’s whether they should have any children at all. Beijing’s current nudge for more kids comes after disappointing application numbers for a second child by eligible families.

Two-Child Policy is Too Little, Too Late

Posted October 26th, 2015 at 2:09 pm (UTC-4)
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Though total fertility in China is in long-term decline, lifting the cap on births entirely might at least encourage rural parents to produce more kids. What China really needs to do, though, is the same thing Japan’s struggled with for so long: import labor.