China may pay parents to have a second child

CHINA is considering paying couples to have a second baby after the scrapping of rules limiting family sizes failed to produce a baby boom.

Authorities imposed a “one-child policy” for almost four decades that was enforced with sterilisations, coerced abortions and violent intimidation from officials.

Beijing relaxed the intrusive regulations in January last year after fears there were too few young people to support the growing ranks of elderly. The increase of 1.3 million births was below initial expectations that up to three million extra babies would be born every year for the next five years.

China has promised to improve support for new mothers and is considering regulations that would establish nurseries at workplaces and extend maternity leave.

However, the financial burden of having a second child has been cited in official surveys as a key reason why most couples do not wish to enlarge their families.

Wang Pei’an, of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said “birth rewards and subsidies” would be considered.