2016年CRI Two-Child Policy Highlighted at the NPC Session

 

Song Qiuxia is a white-collar worker living in Guangdong province. She and her husband just had their little girl last year, and she is not enthusiastic about the new policy.

"I won't even consider having a second child! Raising a kid can be very expensive. For example, the kindergarten fees of just one semester can cost me an entire month's salary."

Song is not the only one.

According to a survey done by the Population Research Institute of Guangdong, only some 34% of 12,000 families would choose to have a second child.

The reasons include high costs, a lack of babysitters, as well as a shortage of education and medical resources.

These reasons are also the common worries of those who plan to have or already have a second child.

Li Kun is a case in point. She wishes the government can help with two things in particular, now that she is pregnant for the second time.

"The first one is a longer maternity¹ leave. That way, kids can enjoy their mom's company for a longer period of time. The second one is early childhood education. It is really hard to find a decent kindergarten nowadays. I experienced the problem firsthand when I was looking for one for my first child. If there are more formal and reliable nurseries and kindergartens around when my second child arrives, that'd be ideal."

The government has certainly got the message loud and clear.

In fact, how to better implement² the two-child policy is one of the key topics at this year's annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Premier³ Li Keqiang shed some light on the issue when he delivered the annual government work report at the opening ceremony of the NPC session.

"We will improve the supporting policies to complement⁴ the decision to allow all couples to have two kids. We will encourage the development of kindergartens open to all children."

The open-to-all kindergarten is a new concept related to early childhood education. NPC Deputy Wang Meixiang further explains.

"When the tuition fees of private kindergartens are too high, it's easy to see the significance of open-to-all kindergartens, as they can help people save money in kindergarten fees. Therefore, it is very important for the government to provide subsidies⁵ to develop this kind of kindergartens."

However, supporting policies alone are far from enough. Zheng Zhenzhen, researcher at the Institute of Population and Labor⁶ Economics of Chinese Academy of Social Science, says first and foremost, it is about changing the mindset.

"We have to change the traditional belief that it is better for one couple to have only one child. This outdated⁷ mindset would destroy our population's sustainable development in the long run. Although on the policy level, we have said goodbye to family planning, the rooted belief cannot be changed overnight. I wish that more couples will try having a second child in the future."

Changing the mindset may be difficult, but it is definitely achievable. Li Kun, for instance, did not want to have a second child initially⁸.

"I changed my mind when I noticed my kid's need to have a sibling⁹. That is something we parents cannot provide. Also, the two-child policy has been officially implemented¹⁰. I would love to give it a go."

Li Kun predicts that more couples in China will follow suit and take advantage of the new policy.

1 maternity   

n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的

参考例句：

• Women workers are entitled to maternity leave with full pay.女工产假期间工资照发。
• Trainee nurses have to work for some weeks in maternity.受训的护士必须在产科病房工作数周。

2 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

3 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

4 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。

5 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

8 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

9 sibling   

n.同胞手足(指兄、弟、姐或妹)

参考例句：

• Many of us hate living in the shadows of a more successful sibling.我们很多人都讨厌活在更为成功的手足的阴影下。
• Sibling ravalry has been common in this family.这个家里，兄弟姊妹之间的矛盾很平常。

10 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句