中国一孩政策緩和

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

中国 「一人っ子政策」を緩和

11月15日 22時32分

中国で人口を抑制するため３０年以上行われている「一人っ子政策」について、習近平政権は、夫婦のどちらかが一人っ子であれば２人の子どもの出産を認めることを決めました。

これは、中国共産党が今月９日から１２日まで開いた重要会議「三中全会」で決定され、１５日夜、公表されました。
それによりますと、夫婦のどちらかが一人っ子であれば２人の子どもを出産してよいという政策を開始し、長期的に均衡のとれた人口構成にするとしていて、実施の時期は示されていないものの、３０年以上行われている一人っ子政策の緩和が明確に打ち出されました。
中国政府は「一人っ子政策を実施していなければ、現在の人口は１７億人以上に達していたおそれがある」として、人口抑制の成果を強調していますが、農村を中心に男の子を重視する根強い風習から人為的な産み分けも横行しているとされ、男女の比率の不均衡が目立っています。
人口の高齢化も急速に進み、去年は１５歳から５９歳までの労働年齢の人口比率が建国以来初めて前の年を下回り、経済成長への影響を指摘する声も出始めていました。
中国では最近、都市部を中心に高額の教育費の負担を嫌って２人目の子どもを望まない夫婦が増えているとされ、習近平政権は、一人っ子政策を緩和しても人口が急増するおそれは少なく、ひずみを是正する効果のほうが大きいと判断したものとみられます。

(試譯文)

About the "one-child policy" that had been in practice for 30 years or more for the purpose of controlling population in China, the Xi Jinping Administration decided to allow the giving birth to a second children when among the husband and wife one of them was a single child.

This was determined in the major session the "Third General Meeting of the Central Committee" which the Communist Party of China held from the 9th to the 12th of this month (November), and was announced at night on the 15th.

Accordingly, it was the start of a policy that among the husband and wife when one of them was an only child, they might give birth to two children; it supposed that it would made the population composition able to achieve a balance by itself in the long run. Although the timing of enforcement was not indicated, a relief of the one-child policy upheld for 30 years or more was clearly hammered out.

Although the Chinese government was emphasizing the result of its population control, suggesting that "the present population has a possibility that it might amount to 1,700 million or more if the one-child policy is not implemented", due to the deep-rooted traditional thinking that centered around farming villages that boys were important, it was understood that artificially interfering with birth was rampant, the imbalance of man and woman's ratio was conspicuous.

The aging of the population also progressed quickly. The population ratio of the working age from 15 years old to 59 years old last year had been lower than the previous year for the first time since the founding of the country, and the voice which pointed out its effect on economic growth had also begun to appear.

Centering on urban areas in China in these days husband and wife who disliked the burden of a big-ticket education expense and thus did not desire the 2nd child were increasing in number. It was judged that there were few possibilities that population might increase rapidly even if the Xi Jinping Administration assumed the easing of the one-child policy, and it could be seen that the effect of correcting the imbalance was greater.

I think probably many Chinese would welcome the new population policy.