Washington Post: China’s lifting of its one-child policy can’t undo the damage already done
Editorial Board

“…Even if it had succeeded in fine-tuning China’s population growth according to some universally acknowledged criteria, the one-child policy would have been monstrous. The proof of that is the litany of forced abortions, harassed and jailed mothers, and female infanticide that the policy brought in its wake … In altering the one-child policy, the Chinese authorities bowed to reality without openly acknowledging their failure, either practical or moral. To the contrary, they continue to assert power over the Chinese people’s reproductive choices. Would-be parents will still face a two-child per couple limit, still enforced through a system of permits and fines. Given the high cost of child-rearing in China’s crowded cities, many will be deterred from having more than one child anyway. In short, it is too late to reverse the damage and China will suffer the consequences for generations to come” (10/31).