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Evidence from Chinese Medical Journals on Current Population Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Extract

China's bitter population dilemma is clearly summarized in just one short statement from the People's Daily: “We insist on family planning, but generally speaking we think it is a good thing to have a large population.” For the past two decades China's population policy has been shrouded in secrecy, has been expressed only through Communist polemic and has suffered from apparent indecision and consequent vacillations. Official thinking on this subject is almost never expressed in direct statements and proclamations. It must be gleaned from casual remarks by Chinese leaders, from newspaper and magazine articles and official radio broadcasts, which usually discuss implementation but omit reference to the initial decision, and from visitors to China who describe the visible signs that suggest a particular policy is currently in effect.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The China Quarterly 1969

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References

1 Jen-min jih-pao (People's Daily), 15 04 1959Google Scholar, as quoted by Michael, Freeberne, in “Birth Control in China,” Population Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1 (07 1964).Google Scholar

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