City presses its case for 2nd child

A local government in Hubei province is calling upon members of the Communist Party of China and the Communist Youth League in government institutions to have two children, saying that failure to do so will have harmful effects.

According to a report by Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Yichang in August, the average number of children for women of childbearing age in Yichang stood at 0.72, the thepaper.cn reported.

Only about 36 percent of women in the city plan to have two children. The low willingness is the result of economic pressures seen in higher education and the cost of future marriages, the report found.

The report was based on in-depth interviews with 1,000 women aged 15 to 60.

Having a second child is not affordable for many couples in Yichang, although it's "ideal" for them to have two, the report said. It added that willingness may not be improved even with government incentives.

An open letter published on the website of the Yichang Health and Family Planning Commission on Sunday said: "Young comrades should begin with themselves, and seniors should educate and urge their children" to reproduce. Seniors should tout the advantages of having two children and warn of the risks of having only one, the letter said.

Chinese lawmakers amended the family planning law in January to allow all couples to have two children.

Since 2000, the fertility rate in Yichang has been extremely low. On average, the letter said, the number of children born to each woman is statistically less than one.

"If this continues, there will be great risk and danger to the city's social and economic development and residents' family lives," it said.

Traditionally, Chinese parents help their children buy apartments - as well as vehicles for their sons - when they get married. In some regions, it's a must to give the bride's parents money as a gift.

A public servant in Yichang, who wasn't named, told China Business Network that he was eligible to have a second child even before the government lifted the ban, but he didn't do it.

"My parents are in poor health and couldn't help take care of the child," he said. "The economic pressure for me would be heavy, as well, if I were to have one more child."

The report said that the percentage of women who would like to have two children would increase only to 44.1 percent, given the prospect of incentive policies - which could include free kindergarten education and a monthly allowance of 100 yuan ($15) until the second child turns 18.

Zhou Lihua in Wuhan contributed to this story.