China mulls lifting birth restrictions

China is considering lifting all restrictions on births in its northeast provinces as the next step in attempts to arrest the falling birth rate in the rapidly ageing society.

The northeast region can implement a “comprehensive birth policy pilot plan,” the country’s National Health Commission suggested in a statement from last August that was released on Thursday. China has a history of testing new policies in a few areas and then rolling them out nationwide if successful.

China’s population is ageing more quickly than most of the world’s developed economies due to decades of family planning aimed at halting population growth. Even with the loosening of those policies in recent years the birth rate has continued to decline, dropping in 2019 to the lowest level since at least 1949.

It likely continued to fall in 2020, with the number of newborn babies registered with the police dropping by about 15%. Full data will be released in April.

The news helped boost the share prices of related companies on Friday, with formula maker Beingmate, maternity and children’s supplies retailer Shanghai Aiyingshi and toy manufacturer Goldlok Holdings Guangdong up by their 10% daily limit. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index was little changed at 1.50pm.

The Communist Party has already signalled its willingness to further relax birth restrictions during the 14th Five-Year Plan period that starts this year, urging an “inclusive” birth policy at a Party conclave held in late October.

The northeast provinces have some of the country’s lowest birth rates, and the commission said they can conduct research on how lifting birth restrictions would affect the local economy and social stability. However, the statement noted that the desire to have children is low in the region despite the relatively loose restrictions.

“Socioeconomic factors have become an important factor affecting births, especially economic burdens, infant and child care, and female career development,” according to the statement, which called for improved public services and steps to address the concerns families have about raising children.

Bloomberg