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So, are you pregnant yet? China’s in-your-face push for more babies. (www.nytimes.com)

submitted 2 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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The government is again trying to insert itself into women’s childbearing decisions, knocking on doors and making calls with questions some find downright invasive.

The first time a government worker encouraged Yumi Yang to have a baby, she thought little of it. She and her husband were registering their marriage at a local office in northeastern China, and the worker gave them free prenatal vitamins, which she chalked up to the government trying to be helpful.

When an official later called to ask if she had taken them, and then called again after she did get pregnant to track her progress, Ms. Yang shrugged those questions off as well intentioned, too. But then officials showed up at her door after she had given birth, asking to take a photograph of her with her baby for their files. That was too much.

“When they came to my home, that was really ridiculous,” said Ms. Yang, 28. “I felt a little disgusted.”

Faced with a declining population that threatens economic growth, the Chinese government is responding with a time-tested tactic: inserting itself into this most intimate of choices for women, whether or not to have a child.

Officials are not just going door to door to ask women about their plans. They have partnered with universities to develop courses on having a “positive view of marriage and childbearing.” At high-profile political gatherings, officials are spreading the message wherever they can.

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[-] serpineslair@lemmy.world 41 points 2 months ago

Well... Isn't that ironic?

[-] jeffw@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

To be fair, the one child policy is pretty misunderstood by most people

[-] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

Why because it didn’t apply to most Chinese families? A two child limit did for most though, and that’s still below the replacement rate. I think the irony sticks

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Something you learn in flight school is how not to over-correct.

[-] greybeard@lemmy.one 3 points 2 months ago

PID tuning is an art.

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this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024

187 points (94.7% liked)

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