Chinese individuals who lack ID card and household registration were forbidden to have children under the previous one-child policy. (Photo : www.ipezone.blogspot.com)
A senior health official said that China can handle the surge in the number of newborns after the government loosened its family planning policies, allowing a couple to have two children.
In an interview with China National Radio, National Health and Family Planning Commission deputy-director Yang Wenzhuang revealed that the commission expects over 20 million new babies to be born a year after the two-child policy's implementation.
"The increase in birth rates is predictable and can be dealt with. Our present job is to promote the policy and guide people to make sensible birth plans," Yang shared, adding that there will not be a baby boom next year.
Meanwhile, sociology professor Lui Jiehua of the Peking University told the Beijing Times that the figure could reach as high as 23 million newborns in 2017.
On Oct. 29, China has announced that it will allow all couples to have their second babies. To date, over 90 million couples in China are qualified candidates for the two-child policy.
For his part, China Population and Development Research Center director Jiang Weiping said that the policy must be subjected to a national legislation first. After that, each province and region should amend their own rules in accordance with the national law.
"I think the whole process can be completed within one year," Jiang further stated.
Yang also said that the government will be devoting more resources to improve hospitals' ability to cope with the increased number of pregnancies.
Back in 2013, China started allowing couples to have a second baby if one of them was a single child.
