I always found that a funny argument (not directed at you personally, but yours is the first comment I read that brought it up). Yes, we need more younger people to take care of the older population. But then we need an even larger next generation to take care of the previous younger generation? Or somehow, keep the…

Hong Kong has a separate legal system. There has never been a one child policy in Hong Kong.

Do you think single people get that stuff ever? I’ll take once over never.

I will say this again and again. The only thing that has been illustrated to reduce birth rates is educating women. I'm not even saying educate them on sexual health, just educate them period.

It’s not just the tax breaks. When’s the last time someone bought you a microwave or a convection toaster or towels for simply being single. You get a TON of free shit for getting married. Single people don’t get any of that shit.

So you were expecting to go on vacation to Tahiti every year?

Yes; I am single for the record.

It’s comical to watch people who know nothing about China spout their completely uninformed (and, of course, generally negative) opinions about it.

Are you aware that Hong Kong was under British control until 1997, and is still being run by China as a “Special Administrative Region?”

And restrictions on birth control and abortion, obscene rates of sexual violence, and the wage gap ARE barbaric and “backwards”. That’s not an opinion anymore than the extent to which the interventionist government is problematic.

Hong Kong was under UK rule for most of the policy and even when it reverted back to China it was never enforced.

Hong Kong isn’t like the rest of china. It kinda does its own thing.

It’s so hard to say what would happen in China. As women get more economic opportunities they may be less interested in having kids. Birth rates are below replacement in many countries because many women would rather focus on careers than have kids. I’d worry more about population growth in places like Pakistan and…

Agree. The Chinese policies (the old one or this new one) aren’t the answer but more needs to be done to discourage people from having so many children, especially if they can’t afford to raise them.

I vaguely recall from a Frontline documentary about living in different socio-economic classes that, like most things, if you’ve got the cash, you can get an exception to the rule.

That’s fucked. The procedure for a man is so much less complicated, painful, and dangerous, but nearly 40% of women have been sterilized, versus nearly 10% of men?

“this is one of two generations growing up as only children”

But China has high quality, free education along with access to contraception so what does that have to do with this story?

I’m Chinese-American, and its so funny to me how each countries media reports on the other. In China, where women could own property and divorce hundreds of years before their western counterparts, they see American restrictions on abortions and birth control, the gender pay gap, rates of sexual violence, etc as…

Research has shown again and again that the best way to control population growth is to educate women and give them access to contraception. But we couldn’t have that, could we?