China has relaxed the country's one-child policy -- another step in the gradual loosening of the one of the world’s most famous family planning rule. The Chinese Communist Party introduced the population-control measure in 1979 and the latest change would allow couples to have a second child if either of the parents is an only child. Currently, the state lets couples to have a second child only if both of the parents are only children. Ethnic minorities and some couples living in some rural areas are also exempt.
This newest tweak could mean 10 million more babies being born in the most populous nation in the world. It would have significantly demographic implications for the country, but also ecological ones for the rest of the world.
Guest:
Mei Fong, former Wall Street Journal reporter based in China who is currently working on a book on the country’s one-child policy