What happens if a couple has twins in china

China has a long history of encouraging birth control and family planning. By the s, population growth started to outpace the food supply, and the government started promoting birth control. However, by the late 70s, China's population was quickly approaching the 1 billion mark, and the Chinese government was forced to give serious consideration to curbing the population growth rate. This effort began in with mixed results but was implemented more seriously and uniformly in , as the government standardized the practice nationwide.

There were, however, certain exceptions, for ethnic minorities, for those whose firstborn was handicapped, and for rural families in which the firstborn was not a boy. The policy was most effective in urban areas, where it was generally well-received by nuclear families, more willing to comply with the policy; the policy was resisted to some extent in agrarian communities in China.

Initially, the one-child policy was meant to be a temporary measure and is estimated to have prevented up to million births since it was instituted. Ultimately, China ended its one-child policy realizing that too many Chinese were heading into retirement, and the nation's population had too few young people entering the labor force to provide for the older population's retirement, healthcare, and continued economic growth.

The government-mandated policy was formally ended with little fanfare on Oct. Now, all couples are allowed to have two children. There were various methods of enforcement, both through incentives and sanctions. For those who complied there were financial incentives, as well as preferential employment opportunities.

For those who violated the policy, there were sanctions, economic and otherwise. At times, the government employed more draconian measures, including forced abortions and sterilizations. The one-child policy was officially discontinued in and the government attempted to replace it with a two-child policy. The efficacy of the policy itself, though, has been challenged, as it is true that populations, generally, naturally taper off as societies get wealthier.

In China's case, as the birth rate declined, the death rate declined, too, and life expectancy increased. The one-child policy had serious implications for China's demographic and economic future. In , China's fertility rate was 1. With the implementation of the one-child policy and the preference for male children, China saw a rise in female fetus abortions, increases in the number of baby girls left in orphanages, and even increases in infanticide of baby girls.

There were 33 million more men, with boys for every girls, as compared to women in China. This will have an impact on marriage in the country, and a number of factors surrounding marriage, for years to come.

Lower numbers of females also mean that there were fewer women of child-bearing age in China. The drop in birth rates meant fewer children, which occurred as death rates dropped and longevity rates rose. It is estimated that a third of China's population will be over the age of 60 by That means more elderly people relying on their children to support them, and fewer children to do so. So, China is facing a labor shortage and will have trouble supporting this aging population through its state services.

And finally, the one-child policy has led to the proliferation of undocumented, non-first-born children. Their status as undocumented makes it impossible to leave China legally, as they cannot register for a passport. They have no access to public education. Oftentimes, their parents were fined or removed from their jobs.

To achieve it, China introduced one of the harshest family planning policies in the world: women were frequently traumatised by forced sterilisation and abortion, scans to check that government-issued IUDs were in place, or regular blood tests to prove they were not pregnant.

If those strategies were not enough to deter couples from trying for a second child, then the threat of losing a job or social status was a common threat. For government workers, a second child meant almost certain demotion, a drastic salary reduction or the sack. Farming families or women from China's ethnic-minority populations, such as Tibetans and Uyghurs, were exempt if their first child was a girl.

This in part acknowledged that these traditional families are more likely to see sons as essential to continuing rural life. In , the policy was abandoned and all Chinese couples are now officially allowed to have two children.

But when you get to know Chinese people it is surprising how many have stories just like Ming Ming. Karoline Kan was born in after her mother defied the one-child policy to give birth to her. As a substitute teacher, Kan's mother knew that she was not supposed to break the law. But despite having a son already in a society that preferences male children , she desperately wanted a second baby.

Kan's mother only revealed her pregnancy to her husband and close family members. She was worried about the official registration of her second child.

At the time, it was common for couples to register their second child under the name of a relative who had no children. That way, fines could be avoided and a "hukou" — an official registration document that allows the person access to education and medical care — could be applied for. Susan's mother gave birth to her longed-for son and a month later her father went to register the baby. Without a relative to use as cover, Susan's parents were fearful of the penalty they may face.

To her father's relief, he was told that the baby could be registered without receiving a fine. In , China had introduced a system of planned purchase and supply to monopolise the selling and buying of grain and oil. Every Chinese family received grain ration coupons from the government that were distributed according to the age and number of family members.

A second child was not included. As he grew, Susan's family had to pay steep market prices to buy additional grain for their son. It was a major financial sacrifice for the family. Susan's family still does not understand why authorities overlooked the birth of the little boy and did not issue a fine, like in Ming Ming's case. Perhaps they felt sorry for the family — some people in China still consider a daughter to be bad fortune compared with a son which has led to other social problems.

The one-child policy was strictly enforced in eastern and north-eastern China , but local governments in middle provinces such as Shaanxi and Shanxi were often more flexible.

Perhaps because of this flexibility, it was surprisingly common for families in Susan's town to have more than one child. Sun and his wife both came from large families, with four and five siblings each, and wanted the same security for their daughter, choosing for her a husband from a family of five.

You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www. Please note that TheJournal. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy. News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. Wire service provided by Associated Press. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences.

Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Switch to Mobile Site. Sites: TheJournal. What happens if you have a 2nd child in China? My News. Personalise your news feed by choosing your favourite topics of interest.

Create your own newsfeed. Irish News. Create my newsfeed. Open journalism No news is bad news Your contributions will help us continue to deliver the stories that are important to you. Newsletters Podcasts More. Weekly Podcast. The Explainer is a weekly podcast from TheJournal. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.