Rational hopes for a second child

By Chen Zhiming (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-10 10:43

As the father of a young boy, I often imagine what life would be like if my wife and I were eligible to have a second child. If my little Ray could have a brother or sister to play with after kindergarten, perhaps he wouldn't feel so lonely when we are tied up with household chores.

My wife once told me she would love to have a baby girl, although that's Mission Impossible under China's current one-child policy. We are not the only children of our parents and so are deprived of the right to have a second child.

China rolled out its nationwide one-child policy in the 1970s. Although there are different interpretations and rules of implementation, having only one child still ended up as the only choice for most couples.

But the idea of having a second child, especially for those parents who already have one, remains as a popular desire for many.

A recent survey by Horizon Research, an established market research company in Beijing, showed that almost 40 percent of families who have a child believe that having two children is better than one. And for those who have two children, only 7 percent think that having one is better than having two. Child loneliness is apparently a major concern for parents.

My thoughts come at the same time as a popular debate emerges about whether China should loosen its policy and give more couples the right to have a second child.

This topic hit the headlines late last month when Shanghai family planning officials announced that Shanghai couples without siblings of their own were being encouraged to have two children.

The Shanghai population and family planning commission said the new policy was meant to deal with the aging population.

According to the commission, there were more than 3 million people older than 60 last year, accounting for 21.6 percent of Shanghai's total population of 13.9 million.

But as I wonder if the loosening of the one-child policy will help with the aging society in Shanghai, my recent experience confirms that China is still a long way off making it a national rule.

On Thursday night at 11 pm I took my feverish son to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics (CIP), one of the most prestigious hospitals in Beijing. The waiting room was crowded and we couldn't find a seat. We waited three hours before being able to see a doctor.

The question of every family having two children returned to my mind and I saw the problem spiral out of control. It was suddenly very obvious to me we even lack enough medical facilities for the children we already have.

The latest statement from the National Population and Family Planning Commission indicated that China might see small adjustments to the existing family planning policies, but it will definitely not be relaxed completely.

I only hope the adjustment can help increase the equality of individuals because the family planning policy is also facing the rising affluence of an urban class.

New money has allowed the wealthy and the famous in China to have two or more children over recent years.

Figures from local authorities show that women from the Chinese mainland gave birth to nearly 78,000 babies in Hong Kong from 2001 to last year, sidestepping official restrictions.

It's my opinion that the one-child policy should be carried out transparently, to allow the population to observe the fairness of the system and its benefits for all. So while families like mine continue to stick to the one-child policy, the dream of a second is never too far away.