APD Campus Reporters|China's one-child policy change, through the eyes of post-80s generation

APD Campus Reporter|

ForYuanLizhen,amigrantworkerfromsoutheasternChina'sJiangxiprovince,herfirstmonthasanewsstandownerinShenzhenwasnotaseasyasitseemed.

“Ineedtoworkatthisnewsstandforaslongas13hours,butI’mstillnotsurehowmuchmoneyIwouldgetformymonthlysalary,”the31-year-oldsaid.“ThemostimportantthingisthatIalwaysmissmysonbackathome.”

Yuan’slittleson,takencareofbyhisgrandparents,goestokindergartenintheirhometownasYuanandherhusbandgooutforwork.Fortheout-migratingcouple,earningenoughmoneyforthechild’stuitionfees,aswellasthelong-awaitedfamilyreunion,couldbemuchmoresignificantthanthecountry’slatestshiftfromthedecades-longfamilyplanningregulationstoauniversaltwo-childpolicy.

ThepolicychangecameintheformofabriefannouncementissuedbytheFifthPlenarySessionofthe18thCommunistPartyofChinaCentralCommittee:Allcoupleswillbeallowedtohavetwochildrentohelpaddressthechallengeofanagingpopulationinthecontemporarysociety.

AccordingtoacommuniquéreleasedbytheNationalHealthandFamilyPlanningCommission,therelaxationofthenationalfertilitypolicyisintendedtopromoteabalancedpopulationdevelopmentandachievethelong-ermdevelopmentoftheChinesenation.

YuanisamemberofChina’spost-80sgenerationorBalinghou,referringtothecohortbornbetween1980and1989.Thoseyoungadultshavegrownupamidthecountry’sstrongpushofthebasicstatepolicyoffamilyplanning,entirelywithinaneweraofreformingandopeningup.

Asthesecondchildofherfamily,Yuansaidshewasveryluckytoreceivethesametreatmentandcaringasherelderbrotherinasocietytraditionallyfavouringmaleheirs,butherbirthindeedcostherparentsthedowngradeoftheirpayscaleasapunishmentofbreachingthepreviousnationalpolicy.

“Infact,Idon’thavemanypersonalviewsonthechangeofpolicyasInevergetahighereducation,”Yuansaid.“ButIdon’tintendtogivebirthtoasecondchildunlessIampregnantonceagainormyparentsinsistmetodoso.”

“Bringingachildintotheworldrequiresyoutohavealargesumofmoney.Eating.Drinking.Clothing.Housing.Education.Everything.Youmustearnlotsofmoneytoguaranteeyourkidsadecentlife,”shesaidwithasigh.

ChenChen,aninteriordesignerlivinginChina’seasterncoastalprovinceJiangsu,gaveasimilaranswerwhenaskedaboutherintentiontohaveanotherchild.Shesaidthatshedoesnotwanttodeliverasecondchildaftergivingbirthtoherdaughterlastyear,despitethefactthatthecountryhasabandonedthe35-year-oldfamilyplanningpolicy,allowingtwokidsforallcouples.

Chenherselfisatypical“singlechild”whowasborninthe1980sandgrowupinanenvironmentwherethefamilyplanningpolicyhasbeenstrictlyenforced.Nowherlifehasbeencharacterizedbythepressureofa4-2-1structure:fourgrandparentsandtwoparentsbeingsupportedbyonechild.

“Ifullyunderstandthepressureandhelplessnessofbeingtheonlychildofafamily,butitdoesnotmeanIwouldpreferhavingtwochildrensimplybecauseofthepolicychange,”Chensaid.“Ineedtotakemanyfactorsintoconsideration,suchasmyphysicalcondition,financialcapability,lifeplanningandevencareerpath.”

In1989,Tongwasbornasthethirdchildofhisfamily,andhisbirthlefthisparentsjoblessbeforepayingforapenaltyofseveralthousandyuan.Apartfromthat,thefamilyfounditratherdifficulttoregisterTong’sbirthandhaveadocumenttoprovehislegalidentity–theChinesehukou(householdregister),withoutwhichthechildwouldbepreventedfromobtainingstateeducationbeyondprimarylevel.

StudentsofBeijingPetroleumCollegeAffiliatedElementarySchoolcomehomefromschoolat4:30p.m.TheChinesegovernmentannouncedonOct.29,2015,thatitwillabolishthecountry'sdecades-oldone-childpolicyandallowallcouplestohavetwochildren.PhotobyChrisWei

CaoLi,adoctoralstudentstudyingatChinaUniversityofMiningandTechnologyinBeijing,alsosaidthatshewouldratherhavetwochildrenthanonlyonechildinherfamily.Caofeelsgoodtowardstheone-childpolicychangeandsaidthatshewould“seizethemarvellousopportunity.”

CaowasborninnorthernChina’sShanxiprovincein1988,andspentahappychildhoodwithhertwosisters,whichhasmadeherinclinedtoafamilywithmorechildren.Asherparentsarelocalofficialswithahighlevelofsocialstatus,thefamilyhasneverbeensubjectedtoanykindofpunishmentorpenaltyduetoviolationsofthefamilyplanningrestrictions.

“Comparedwiththose‘single’childrenwhogrowupbythemselves,livingtogetherwithsiblingscouldgiveyouachancetolearnhowtosharewithothersandshoulderwiderfamilialresponsibilities,”Caosaidwithasmile.“That’sthereasonwhyIwouldliketohavetwochildrenaftermarriage,andtherecentpolicychangeisexactlywhatIhopefor.”

Cao’sschoolfellowChengRuishengexpressedhispreferenceforhavingtwochildreninthefutureaswell.Bornin1987,Chengistheonlychildofhisfamilyandone childfamiliesarecommonplaceinhishometownShandong,aneasternChineseprovinceontheYellowSea.

“Iwouldnotletmychildrenexperiencethesamekindoflonelinessasmeduringtheirgrowingprocess,”Chengsaid.“Throughmystruggleandefforts,Ihaveself-confidencetoovercomeallthedifficultiesandprovidemychildrenwithprosperouslivingconditions.”

AsforYuanLizhenworkingandlivinginShenzhen,thecountry’sfertilitypolicychangeandtheannouncementissuedinthecapitalseemedsofaraway,asfarasthedistancebetweenhersonandherself.Butsometimesshemaywonderwhetheritwouldbebetterifhersoncouldhaveayoungerbrotherorsistertoplaywith.

“Icannotaffordasecondchildeconomically,”shesaid.“ButifIwerepregnantonceagain,Iwouldgivebirthtothechildwithouthesitation.Inthatway,mychildrencouldkeepeachothercompany,therebynotmissingtheirparentssomuch.”Enditem