Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Enhancing Work of Population and Ensuring Stable and Low Level of Birth

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Population is a major issue that will long confront China in the primary stage of socialism and a key factor hindering China's economic and social development. To control the size of its population and improve its well being is a major strategic decision for meeting the grand goal of accomplishing China's socialist modernization drive and sustainable development. In the past half century since the founding of New China and particularly since China embarked on the path of reform and opening-up, outstanding progress has been made in China's work of population and family planning thanks to the committed efforts made by the whole party and all the Chinese people. Despite the fact that its economy remains undeveloped. China has effectively curbed the excessive growth of its population and slowed the level of birth to below the level of replacement. It has thus made s historical transition from a type of population reproduction featuring high birth rate, low mortality rate and high growth rate to one featuring low birth rate, low mortality rate and low growth rate. By successfully pursuing an approach with Chinese features of addressing in a comprehensive way the population issue, China has greatly boosted its overall national strength, promoted social progress and improve the life of its people, contributing significantly to stabilizing the world population.

To practice family planning is a long-term fundamental national policy we must stick to. After completing the transition in population reproduction, we should shift the focus of work of population and family planning to ensuring stable and low level of birth and improving the well being of China's population. The whole party and the whole society must, bearing in mind the overall interest of China's socialist modernization drive and the long-term interest of the survival and growth of the Chinese nation, do a better job in the work of population and family planning. In view of this, the following decision is made.

I. To ensure stable and low level of birth is a major and arduous challenge facing us in the years to come

1. With the arrival of the 21st century, China's work of population and family planning will enter a new and import period. In the next few decades, provided that a stable and low level of birth is ensured, China's population will shift from low growth to zero growth. After reaching the peak (approaching 1.6 billion), China's population will slowly decrease, and its well being will be steadily improved. This will create a good population environment for China to basically accomplish modernization and sustainable development.

2. An excessively large population remains a top concern for China. China's population will continue to grow in the next decade and more, with a net annual growth of over 10 million. To bring about a fundamental improvement in the well being of China's population will not be easy. Pressure on employment will increase; population aging will become increasingly acute; and the increasing population will take a toll on the economy, society, resources and the environment.

To ensure stable and low level of birth is therefore a more arduous and more challenging task. Productivity is still backward in China; the level of development is still uneven among regions; the country's social security system is in its infant stage; and the traditional views on birth remain obstinate. It is still difficult to implement family planning. Any oversight in policy implementation and work and any adverse impact of the general environment will result in the rise of the birth rate again. We will encounter many new problems in carrying out the work of population and family planning in the gradual course of establishing a socialist market economy. As in the new situation there is still much room for improvement in the current management system, work methods, services provided and the competence of government officials, it is imperative that we should change the functions of the government, speed up reform and undertake new initiatives.

3. The next decade is crucial for ensuring a stable and low level of birth in China. It should be pointed out, however, that quite a large number of comrades still lack a keen appreciation of the fact that a large population is the most basic aspect of China's national conditions in the primary stage of socialism. They fail to see that population control is the key to the successful pursuit of the strategy of sustainable development. And they fail to see that to carry out work of population and family planning under the socialist market economy is a long-term, arduous and complicated endeavor. In addressing the population issue, it is therefore of pressing importance to view it from proper perspective and guard against unfounded optimism and complacency.

4. In essence, the issue of population is one of development. Whether the population issue can be addressed properly will have a direct bearing on the improvement of people's life and well being of the Chinese nation and its survival. Leading officials of the Chinese government, both at the national and local level, must view and address the population issue with China's overall and strategic interests in mind. They should act with a high sense of responsibility to the party, the state and the interests of the people and the later generations, be clear headed, pursue a scientific approach and do a good job in carrying out work of population and family planning from year to year, so as to meet the goals set for of population control and family planning.

II. The goals of and guidelines for work of population and family planning in the next decade

5. The goal of work of population and family planning in the next decade is as follows: By the end of 2010, China's total population (not including that of Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province) will be kept within 1.4 billion, and the annual birth rate will not exceed 15%; the well being of the new born population will be significantly improved; the gender mix of babies will be more balanced; people of child-bearing age will have access to basic reproduction health care services; making "informed choice" with regard to contraception and birth control will be extended on a general basis; a new set of values on marriage and birth and a new culture on birth will be cultivated; and a family planning security system and work mechanism featuring effective regulation and management and based on a well developed legal framework will be put in place.

6. To meet these goals, the following guidelines must be adhered to :

- The policy of coordinated growth of population and development should be pursued. Economic and social development should be accelerated. Priority should be given to science and technology and education. Every effort should be made to improve people's life and the well being of China's whole population. Work of population and family planning should be carried out in accordance with China's overall plan for economic and social development. Supporting policies should be adopted to ensure the balance between population on the one hand and the economy, society, resources and the environment on the other.

- The current birth policy should continue to be pursued on a stable basis. The government should encourage late marriage and late birth. It should encourage one couple to have one child and to have the second child as necessary and in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations. The minority ethnic groups in China should also practice family planning and relevant policies should be adopted by provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with provincial status.

- The population issue should be addressed in an integrated manner. A working mechanism should be set up under the leadership of the government and the guidance of the competent government agencies and with cooperation from various sectors and full public participation to fully tap resources with clearly defined responsibilities. Legal, educational, economic and administrative means should be taken in an comprehensive way to address the issue of population.

- Government guidance should be followed and voluntary participation should be encouraged. The government should adopt relevant policies and take necessary implementing steps which take into account both the interest of the country and individual interest, both the long-term interest and near-term interest and both the national interest and local interest. Administrative management should go hand in hand with popular participation. Efforts should be made to bring about a fundamental change in the outdated public perception on birth, encourage voluntary participation in family planning and forge closer ties between the party and the people and between government officials and people.

- General guidance and guidance for specific sectors should be conducted in a concerted manner. While doing a good job of carrying out national family planning endeavors, we should continue to give priority to family planning in rural areas and particularly in the rural areas of Central China and Western China. Urban areas and Eastern China should continue to serve as pacesetters in family planning. Emphasis should be placed on publicity, contraception and regular work in carrying out work of population and family planning so as to ensure coordinated progress in different regions.

- The all round development of human beings should be pursued as the central goal. The full participation of people in carrying out family planning should be respected, and their lawful rights should be encouraged. Work of family planning should go hand in hand with efforts to promote economic development, help people get rich through hard work and promote civilized and happy families. High quality services should be provided by drawing on progress in science and technology.

III. Improve the regulatory mechanism for work of population and family planning and related social and economic policies

7. To set up a comprehensive regulatory mechanism and a sound policy environment is essential to the successful carrying out of work of population and family planning. In adopting policy and reform steps concerning land, enterprises, medical care, social security, residence registration, labor, education and finance and taxation, both the national government and local governments as well as competent government agencies should take into account all the factors concerned and work closely in the interest of carrying out work of population and family planning.

Family planning management should be further improved, and the regulating role of population planning should be brought into full play. The government planning departments should ensure the coordinated population, economic and social growth in drawing up plans for development. The public security departments should take concrete steps to ensure that all the new births are registered and the code numbers of individual identification cards are compiled on a timely basis. The government family planning departments should adopt standardized work procedures. Work of population and family planning at the township and village level should be carried out in accordance with currently enforced policies; and the related policies and procedures should be simplified and be open. Public supervision should be encouraged.

8. Adoption of national laws on work of population and family planning should be stepped up so as to put in place a legal framework for population control and family planning. Laws on family planning should be publicized to heighten the awareness of both government officials and the general public to abide by laws on family planning. A better hob should be done in carrying out work of population and family planning in accordance with law. The laws on family planning should be strictly enforced but in civilized manner. Both the general public and media should be encouraged to supervise work of population and family planning so as to uphold the lawful rights and interests of the people and ensure that the related laws are fully observed in carrying out work of population and family planning.

9. To set up and improve an incentive driven mechanism for family planning. The government at all levels as well as government agricultural departments should help family planning practicing rural households to increase income and upgrade their economic status by helping them to resolve difficulties through such means as making small amount loans, providing project assistance on a priority basis, offering expertise in science and technology and applying preferential polices to them. The government at all levels as well as government poverty reduction agencies should provide assistance to family planning practicing poor rural households on a priority basis and in a planned way to help them on their own. The policy of "not giving more land to increased member in the household and not reducing the land for a household despite decrease in family members" should continue to be pursued in rural areas. In the current stage, social living support fee should be collected from families who violate family planning policies to impose necessary economic restraint on them. The fee collecting standard should be adopted by provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with provincial status on a unified basis. The social living support fee collected should be turned over to the national government finance.

The government at all levels as well as grassroots organizations should set up an incentive driven mechanism and honor reward and preferential policies promised to family planning practicing families. A fixed amount of monetary award should be given to one child families. When parents with only one child in urban areas retire, necessary subsidy may be given to them in light of specific local conditions. Due preferential consideration should be given to family planning practicing families and particularly such families with only girls in terms of receiving income from collective owned businesses, having access to welfare treatment from such businesses, receiving house building land lots, contracting farmland, training, employment, medical treatment, housing and child care and schooling.

Social security should be developed to free people's concern about lack of children support in practicing family planning. The government labor departments and other departments should, proceeding from reality, adopt preferential policies to set up a social security system conducive to practicing family planning through multi-channels. In urban areas, efforts should be made to introduce old age insurance, basic medical insurance, birth insurance, social welfare and other social security systems. In rural areas, an old age insurance system should be introduced in a phase way for one child families and two girl families that practice family planning in light of specific local conditions and in accordance with the principle of government support and voluntary participation. The right to work of child bearing women and their economic interests should be protected. The government civil affairs departments and other competent departments should adopt social relief policies that favor family planning practicing families and provide living subsidy to poor families that practice family planning.

10. Due consideration should be given to population in adopting the strategic plan for developing western China. In pursuing this strategy, priority should be given to both economic development and population control so as to promote economic growth and reduce the size of population and improve its well being. The rather high birth rate, high percentage of poor population and low rate of urbanization in Western China should be taken into account in adopting relevant policies and measures to intensify grassroots level family planning efforts and strictly control population growth. The national government should provide financial assistance to Western China and implement poverty alleviation strategy to develop in a major way educational, scientific and technological, cultural, medical, health and family planning undertakings. Eastern China is encouraged to support Western China, urban areas are encouraged to help those that lag behind. Training of officials should be enhanced; emphasis should be placed on giving work guidance; and service facilities should be upgraded to provide better service.

IV. Set up a management mechanism for work of population and family planning in step with the socialist market economy

11. Being a massive public undertaking involving the immediate interests of the people, work of population and family planning should be pursued in strict accordance with government policies. The party committees and governments at all levels and local governments should coordinate work of the competent authorities and mobilize the whole society in carrying out work of population and family planning in an integrated way. The party departments for disciplinary inspection and supervision, organization and publicity ad government departments for planning, education, science and technology, minority ethnic group affairs, public security, civil affairs, judicial affairs, finance and taxation, personnel, labor and security, construction, land and resources, agriculture, culture, health, radio and television, statistics and industry and commerce should further clearly define their respective functions and responsibilities and adopt corresponding measures. The government family planning departments should fully play their part and assist the party committees and the governments at all levels in sponsoring, coordinating and supervising various party and government departments to implement policies on population and family planning. People's organizations such as trade union, youth league and women's federation branches and associations for family planning at all levels, which play an important part in assisting the party committees and government to mobilize the public in practicing family planning, should play a more active role in organizing the people in conducting self education, self management and self service.

12. Conditions should be created to incorporate work of population and family planning into the grassroots community administration and service system. In rural area, work of population and family planning should be carried out as an important part of the drives to improve rural grassroots governance and build "well-off villages", "civilized villages" and "harmonious families". All villages should meet family planning standards. Villager self governance should be encouraged, and family planning should be conducted openly and under democratic management and supervision in villages. In urban areas, family planning should continue to be carried out as part of local governance. The responsibilities of neighborhood committees and residential committees in handling matters relating to family planning should be enhanced. Community development should be enhanced and better community services should be provided.

The mobile population should be put under comprehensive management. In accordance with the provisions of the Regulations on the Management of Work of Population and Family Planning of Mobile Population, while both the mobile population originating areas and the mobile population settling areas should share responsibility, the latter bear main responsibility in handling mobile population related issues. The government public security, industry and commerce, taxation, labor, health and housing management departments in the mobile population settling areas should, fully bearing their responsibilities, exercise effective management and set up a network of services so as to provide comprehensive services to mobile population, particularly services on obtaining relevant certificates, renting apartment and employment.

Legal representative responsibility for work of population and family planning should be further implemented. Enterprises and institutions of various forms of ownership and public organizations should, acting on the relevant laws and regulations, perform their respective share of responsibility for handling matters relating to family planning. They should provide staff and funds and take necessary measures to conduct family planning and offer rewards and pursue preferential policies to encourage compliance with family planning requirements.

13. The government publicity, educational, scientific and technological and cultural departments should work closely to extend general knowledge on population and family planning for the benefit of the public through the use of various media and means so as to cultivate an atmosphere for practicing family planning in the whole society. New ways of conducting marriage and having children should be encouraged in families. Cultural, scientific and technological and health care knowledge should be extended in rural areas. Knowledge on contraception, birth control, improving prenatal care and postnatal care and reproductive health should be publicized, so should sound values on marriage and birth, such as having late marriage and late birth, having fewer but better births and having no discrimination against female babies, etc. These efforts should be made to develop a new socialist culture on birth. Party schools, schools for training administrators and youth league schools at all levels should place importance on conducting education in population and family planning. Lectures and courses on population, puberty and sex health care should be given at schools at and above the intermediary level.

14. Quality service and particularly quality technical services should be provided. The government family planning departments are responsible for exercising overall family planning management and providing population and family planning technical services. The government family planning departments and health care departments should, while performing their respective responsibilities, work closely to provide family planning technical services and reproductive care services with focus on birth, birth control and sterility. Grassroots family planning service providing personnel should visit families to help child bearing age people use safe, effective and appropriate ways of contraception with long lasting contraceptive effect. The local governments should enhance management over county (city), township (town) and village level family planning technical service and medical and health care service clinic networks, fully utilize the available health care resources, improve service facilities, standardize services and increase service capacity.

15. The cause of family planning should be promoted by drawing on progress in science and technology. Research and technical innovation in population and family planning should be stepped up. New technologies and products for contraception, birth control, having better births and reproductive care should be developed and extended to develop reproductive health care. Supervision over the market of family planning medicine and health care products should be intensified to ensure market order.

16. International cooperation and exchanges in the field of population and family planning should be enhanced. The scope of cooperation should be widened, and there should be active participation in multi-level and bilateral activities in the field of international population and family planning so as to benefit from the experiences and expertise of the international community. External publicity should be enhanced to create good image of China in carrying out work of population and family planning and win understanding and support of the international community.

V. Enhance party and government leadership over work of population and family planning

17. Firm leadership of the party and government serves as the fundamental guarantee for the successful carrying out of work of population and family planning. Party committees and governments at all levels should give top priority to work of population and family planning in pursuing the strategy of sustainable development, and the heads of party committees and governments at all levels should direct their personnel attention to this task. On the basis of studying new situation, work plans that suit specific local conditions should be adopted and every effort should be made to carry them out. It is imperative to bring into full play the role of the concurrent members of the State Family Planning commission and the institutions they represent and the role of leading groups for work of population and family planning in provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with provincial status. The central authorities will hold a forum on work of population every year. Work of population and family planning should be listed as one of the major undertakings that come under supervision by the central authorities, and selective inspection will be carried out on work of population and family planning in provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with provincial status. The party committees and governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with provincial status should submit annual reports on the work of population and family planning in their respective jurisdictions to the central authorities.
The party and government officials and officials in charge of family planning should raise their own competence, be imbued with a sense of abiding by laws, thoroughly improve work style, maintain close ties with the people, care about them, help them resolve difficulties and convince them of the need to practice family planning through patient persuasion. They should take the lead in carrying out government policies on family planning and should not give excessive births by abusing their power. Officials who do so will be subjected to government disciplinary actions and should not be promoted to leading positions. Party members who give excessive births should be subjected to party disciplinary actions.

18. The population and family planning target management responsibility system should be persisted and improved, and responsibility check should be conducted over party and government leadership and the government family planning departments. The practice of "casting one vote of veto" regarding the performance of family planning in evaluating the overall work performance should be persisted. The organizational and disciplinary inspection departments should take the implementation of family planning responsibility system by leading officials as an important criterion in evaluating their performance and making decisions on their promotion and on conferring rewards or imposing penalty on them. Such evaluation should be conducted annually during the term of office of officials concerned. When the official concerned leave office, final checks should be carried out, and those who fail to perform their responsibilities should be held accountable. Checks on work of population and family planning should have clearly defined priorities and be easy to conduct, with emphasis on practical results. Such checks should serve to encourage grassroots officials to provide high quality services to the public and improve their work performance.

19. Party committees and governments at all levels and their organizational and personnel departments should raise the competence of family planning staff, particularly those staff at the township (neighborhood) and village (residential committee) and make sure that they have moral integrity, are professionally competent, good t management and able to communicate with people through persuasion. Work of population and family planning should be sufficiently staffed and funded. The political and economic status of family planning staff should be raised, and conditions should be improved to facilitate their work. The family planning offices should be kept stable. Education and training of family planning staff should be enhanced to raise their political and ethical integrity and professional competence and make them law abiding and committed to serving the people. The official and personnel management system should be reformed and people with capabilities should be selected to engage in work of family planning.

20. Work of population and family planning is a public undertaking with great social benefit. Input into it is the basic input made by the state for economic and social development. Appropriations for family planning should be incorporated into the budgets of the national government and local governments and should be guaranteed. The general level of appropriations for family planning undertakings should be steadily raised, whose growth rate should be higher than that of government revenue. Per capita annual share of appropriations for family planning made by government finance, both national and local, should exceed 10 yuan by the end of 2005. More appropriations for family planning should be made to Central China and Western China, areas inhabited by minority ethnic groups and disaster stricken areas which have budget shortfall. Necessary input for grassroots family planning undertakings should be ensured in the course of replacing fee collection with tax collection in rural areas. After social living support fees and township administrative fees are incorporated into government budget, the government finance should duly increase funding for family planning. At the same time, funding for family planning should be raised from more sources; and private donation, public contribution and overseas donation should be encouraged. The state supports the setting up of public fund for population and family planning. The government audit departments should step up and check and penalize abuses in the collection, management and use of social living support fees.

The work of family planning of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and of the Chinese People's Armed Police should be carried out respectively by Chinese People's Liberation Army and Chinese People's Armed Police in accordance with this Decision.

Party committees and governments at all levels should do a good job in work of population and family planning in a creative manner in light of specific local conditions. Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at its core, we should hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping theory, seize opportunity, meet challenge, work with full vigor to advance China's cause of population and family planning to a new stage and make greater contributions to meeting the grand goal of accomplishing socialist modernization.