China may scrap limit on number of children: Report

BEIJING: China appears poised to scrap the limit on the number of children couples can have, with a state-run newspaper on Monday citing a draft civil code that would end decades of controversial family planning policies.

The wide-ranging code would get rid of a policy that has been enforced through fines but was also notorious for cases of forced abortions and sterilisation in the world's most populous country.

The Procuratorate Daily said the code omits any reference to “family planning” -the current policy which limits couples to having no more than two children.

The draft code would go to a vote at the rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress, in 2020. The Communist Party began enforcing a one-child policy in 1979 to slow population growth. The

limit was raised to two children in 2016 as the nation scrambled to rejuvenate its greying population of some 1.4 billion. Concerns are mounting that an ageing and shrinking workforce could slow down its economy, while gender imbalances could lead to social problems.

Child births have not increased as much as forecast since the two-child policy came into force, and there has been rising speculation the government will further ease restrictions.

The draft code was discussed at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a powerful body of lawmakers headed by President Xi Jinping, that will run till Friday.

Other proposed changes include a one-month cooling off period before a divorce, during which either party can withdraw their application.