On January 1, 2014, the Chinese Communist Party tweaked the One Child Policy, allowing couples in which either parent is an only child to have a second child. This minor exception has been widely and wrongfully reported as an “easing” or “relaxation” of the One Child Policy.
One non-profit organization recently released a statement that they “would like to celebrate and rejoice” in the “victory” that additional babies have been born under the most recent exception. Their statement – and the reports published in the mainstream media — do not mention the fact that the Chinese Communist Party has made no promise whatsoever to end coercive birth control.
To the contrary, on January 28, 2015, Chinese Communist Party news organ Chinadaily.com stated, “National Health and Family Planning Commission officials said in November [2014] that China currently has no plans to suspend or further relax its One-Child Policy.” “Shanghai Couples Urged to have 2nd Children” 1/28/15 https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-01/28/content_19424074.htm
At an October 2014 event concerning the One Child Policy co-hosted by The Heritage Foundation and Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, blind activist Chen Guangcheng described a “war zone” caused by brutal family planning abuses: “In today’s China, under the Communist rule, the government can put their hand into your body, grab your baby out of your womb, and kill your baby in your face.” “They Will Kill Your Baby in Your Face – Chinese Activist Chen Guangcheng” 11/4/14 https://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=1863. At the same event, Cong. Chris Smith called the one-child policy, “the most egregious, vicious attack on women ever. China’s one-child policy announced in 1979 is state-sponsored violence against women and children – including and especially the girl child – and constitutes massive crimes against humanity.” 400 Million Lives “Prevented” through the One Child Policy, Chinese Official Says 10/10/14
Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, stated, “The coercive enforcement of the One Child Policy continues unabated, destroying women, children, whole families – and indeed, the fabric of Chinese society. It constitutes the greatest women’s rights violation on the face of the earth and in the history of the world. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, no one supports forced abortion, because it is not a choice. The One Child Policy does not need to be ‘eased.’ It needs to be abolished.”
There has been a tragic rise in murder and suicide associated with the crushing “social compensation fees,” which can cost up to fourteen times a person’s annual salary, an amount the vast majority of Chinese citizens cannot afford. If the parents are unable to pay these “terror fines,” their children will be denied “hukou,” or household registration. Without hukou, children are ineligible for healthcare or education. They become illegal aliens in their own land. “Chinese Mother, fined $54,200 for Flouting One-child Policy, Sues Police. https://www.voanews.com/content/reu-chinese-mother-fined-54200-one-child-policy-sues/1803992.html 12/5/13
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
Here are some of the reported tragedies caused by the One Child Policy. Most abuses suffered under the One Child Policy are never reported in the west.
- In China’s Guangxi Region, a man stabbed to death two government workers after they told him he could not register his fourth child because he did not pay the “social compensation fee.” He injured four other workers, including severing the hand of one. “Crazed Chinese father-of-four stabs two government officials to death over one child policy.” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2376771/Chinese-father-kills-1-child-policy-officials-registering-4th-child.html 7/24/13. (Although this incident happened before August 1, 2013, it happened so close to the deadline that it was not included in our 2013 report, so we have included it here.)
- In Hunan Province, a husband demanded compensation from the Chinese government, claiming that his wife, Gong Qifeng, has suffered from schizophrenia and violent behavior since she was forcibly aborted at seven months in November, 2011. “Forced abortion at 7 Months – The Horror of China’s One Child Policy Sparks Further Outrage.” https://www.christianpost.com/news/forced-abortion-at-7-months-the-horror-of-chinas-one-child-policy-sparks-further-outrage-101764/ 8/7/13; “Chinese couple seeks damages for forced abortion.” https://www.worldmag.com/2014/01/chinese_couple_seeks_damages_for_forced_abortion 1/10/14
- In Shandong Province, Liu Xinwen was dragged out of her home in the middle of the night by 20 officials, who kicked down her door and restrained her husband. They forcibly aborted her, six months pregnant. “China Couple Speak of ‘Forced Abortion.’” https://news.sky.com/story/1150016/china-couple-speak-of-forced-abortion 10/4/13
- Ai Guangdong, a farmer in Hebei Province, killed himself by drinking pesticide during a dispute with family planning officials over fines for his over-quota children. Since the farmer did not have money to pay the fines, family planning officials confiscated 3.5 tons of corn, the entire savings of the family. Ai Guangdong then visited the home of the Party Chief to dispute this action. Finally the farmer drank pesticide at the home of the Party Chief, and promptly died. “Farmer drinks poison after being fined for violations of family planning policy.” https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/830847.shtml 12/8/13
- In Xinjiang Province, four Uyghur women were forcibly aborted, one of them at nine months. As ethnic minorities, Uyghurs are supposedly exempt from the One Child Policy. This is not the case. While they may have more than one child, they are nevertheless subject to coercive termination of out-of-plan pregnancies. “Four Uyghur Women Forced to Abort Their Babies in Zinjiang.” https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/abortion-12302013050902.html; “Xinjiang authorities try to force six women to abort for violating one-child policy.” https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Xinjiang-authorities-try-to-force-six-women-to-abort-for-violating-one-child-policy-29925.html. 12/30/13
- An obstetrician in Shaanxi province, Zhang Shuxia, was convicted of trafficking seven infants, after she had convinced their parents that the infants were seriously ill or deceased. She was given a suspended death sentence. It has been estimated that 70,000 children a year are trafficked in China. The doctor sold boys at a premium, costing more than twice as much as girls. “Obstetrician convicted in Chinese baby-trafficking case.” https://www.wnd.com/2014/01/obstetrician-convicted-in-chinese-baby-trafficking-case/ 1/16/14; “Chinese doctor sentenced to death for selling babies.” https://nypost.com/2014/01/14/chinese-doctor-sentenced-to-death-for-selling-babies/ 1/14/14
- In Guizhou Province, a farmer and father of four committed suicide because he could not afford to pay the fines to enroll his children in school. His wife stated, “He said to me before he cut his wrists, ‘What did we bring them into the world for, to be as dumb as cattle? I cannot see my children grow up uneducated.’” After his death, the authorities provided the family with a new house and money to educate the children. “Chinese father of four commits suicide over one-child policy fines so his children can go to school.” 5/26/14
These atrocities continue to this day.
The minor modification of the policy that took place on January 1, 2014: 1) does not affect a large percentage of couples in China; 2) retains the dreaded “birth intervals” between children (if a woman gets pregnant before the interval has lapsed, she may be subject to forced abortion); and 3) makes no promise to end the coercive enforcement of the Policy.
To proclaim “victory” under these circumstances is entirely unwarranted and may mislead many into thinking that the One Child Policy is a thing of the past. Littlejohn stated, “It is a continuing heartache to me when people celebrate minor revisions in the One Child Policy. I think of all the women and babies suffering and dying now from forced abortions. It is hard to lead a movement to end forced abortion in China when people think it has already ended. So long as forced abortion and sterilization continue in China we must fight it. This is a time to increase pressure for change, not to release it.
