The problem has been identified in China for some time: an aging population and a low birth rate, all combined with a slowing economy. The problem is the solution. In fact, at a time when birth rates are falling, China made a radical decision a few weeks ago: It suspended foreign adoptions. The last move is, if possible, more “invasive”: knocking on doors and persecuting women for having children.

News. This week the New York Times reported on the Yumi Yang case. On the day she registered her marriage, a government official encouraged her to have a baby, but she did not attach any importance to it. The man gave her free prenatal vitamins. Shortly after, another official called her and asked if she was taking medication and wanted to know if everything went well when she got pregnant.

Months passed and after she gave birth, several officials came to her door and asked for a photo with her baby for the record. It turns out that Yang’s situation is not unusual. Faced with a shrinking population that threatens economic growth, the Chinese government is responding with a well-tested tactic: interfering with women’s most intimate decisions about whether to have children.

New policy: Increase birth rate. The government’s campaign is not limited to going door-to-door to ask women about their plans. In fact, it includes university courses on marriage and parenting and is promoted at high-level political meetings.

In this context, Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of motherhood as a public responsibility, reflecting the priority the Communist Party has given to increasing the birth rate, which is currently one of the lowest in the world, with an estimated fertility index of 1.0. A campaign that is part of a wider effort to change social attitudes towards marriage and motherhood.

Complaints about networks. Women complained that neighborhood officials reached out to them via social media; They said that some of them called them to ask the date of their last menstrual cycle. Many find these interventions unnecessary. They argue that the government has failed to address the real challenges they face, such as the high costs of raising children and the difficulty of balancing motherhood and a career.

The New York Times spoke with a group of women in neighborhoods where authorities are trying to boost fertility. It seems that younger generations, especially those born after the 90s, do not consider having children among their priorities, unlike previous generations. Still, some appreciate certain aspects of the program, such as additional resources for child care and encouraging men to contribute more at home.

Strict control and policies of the past. Fear of a return to the past and reproductive control is behind the government’s efforts. For decades since the late 1970s, China strictly enforced its one-child policy, which included fines and forced abortions. This was a response to concerns about demographic growth at the time; this increase has brought it close to the one billion population mark and raised doubts about its possible economic impact.

Although current campaigns have not reached these levels, increasingly vocal conversations about government interference in women’s plans and reducing unnecessary abortions are raising fears that their reproductive freedoms may be restricted in the future. In fact, some cities already have rules requiring official approval for abortion after the 14th week of pregnancy.

Control in the face of a difficult problem to solve. Like the measure that turned off the “tap” on foreign adoptions a few weeks ago, the government’s latest approach to “birth” is dangerously reminiscent of the family planning policy of the past and ignores any hint of social change where women are under their control. decisions. In the background: big elephant.

In 2023, approximately 2.1 million people died and 9.02 million births were recorded in China; this was the lowest figure since records began. Last year’s balance is also negative because it shows that the demographic “puncture” is accelerating: between 2022 and 2023 the country lost people for the first time since the 1960s, albeit to a lesser extent.

So it doesn’t look like the authorities will stop knocking on doors.

Image | Lon&Queta, TimeLessMoon

in Xataka | Amid birthrate collapse, China makes radical decision: Suspend foreign adoptions

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