China said it will scrap its one-child policy, Xinhua news agency reports. The ruling Communist Party said on Thursday it will ease family planning restrictions to allow two children for all couples. It’s a major liberalisation of the country’s family restrictions.
The Communist Party began formally relaxing national rules two years ago, allowing couples in which at least one of the pair is an only child to have a second child after decades of the strict one-child policy.
The controversial policy was introduced nationally in 1979, to reduce the country's birth rate and slow the population growth rate. However, concerns at China's ageing population led to pressure for change. The one-child policy is estimated to have prevented about 400 million births since it began.
The news comes as President Xi Jinping rolls out his five-year plan to manage the economy’s shift to a more balanced growth. Metro/BBC
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