Consequences Of Defying China's One Child Policy

China's one-child policy was a set of laws implemented in 1979 to control the country's explosive population growth. While not everyone had to comply, those who were subjected to the policy faced serious consequences for violating it. The methods used to enforce the policy included incentives such as financial rewards and preferential employment opportunities, as well as sanctions like fines, forced abortions, and sterilizations. The one-child policy is estimated to have prevented about 400 million births in China, but it also resulted in unintended consequences like an aging population, a gender imbalance, and a shrinking workforce. In 2015, China began to phase out the policy, and in 2016, it was formally discontinued and replaced with a two-child policy. In 2021, all family size limits and penalties for exceeding them were removed.

Fines

Families who broke China's one-child policy were subject to fines, the amount of which was determined based on the income of the family and other factors. The fine was known as a "social maintenance fee" and was used for the operation of the government. The fee was a fraction of either the annual disposable income of city dwellers or the annual cash income of peasants, in the year of the child's birth. For example, in Guangdong, the fee was between three and six times the annual income for incomes below the district's per capita income, plus one to two times the annual income exceeding the average.

If families were unable to pay the "social child-raising fee", their child would not be able to obtain a hukou, a legal registration document that was required to marry, attend state-funded schools, or receive healthcare. While some provinces declared that payment of the fee was not required to obtain a hukou, most provinces still required families to pay retroactive fines after registration.

In addition to fines, families who broke the one-child policy could also face other penalties, including forced abortions and sterilizations, job loss, and other economic sanctions.

Forced abortions

Women who were subjected to forced abortions often experienced feelings of guilt, shame, and depression. They felt as though they had failed as mothers and brought disgrace to their families. This could lead to broken marriages and strained relationships with in-laws, who often had a strong bias against girls and pressured their daughters-in-law to have sons.

The one-child policy also led to the abandonment and infanticide of baby girls, as families preferred to have sons over daughters. This resulted in a gender imbalance in China, with approximately 30 million "missing women". This gender imbalance has had social and economic consequences, including increased societal instability, crime, and violence.

The Chinese government estimates that the one-child policy led to 400 million fewer births. However, some scholars dispute this number, putting the figure at around half that amount.

Sterilisation

Sterilization was one of the methods used to enforce China's one-child policy. The policy, which was in place from 1979 to 2015, was a population planning initiative to curb the country's population growth by restricting many families to a single child.

In the early 1970s, massive sterilization campaigns swept across the country. Urban and rural birth planning and family planning services were set up in every community. Cash payments, other material rewards, and fines acted as incentives, increasing the number of participants. Socially willing participants were considered role models in the community.

In 1983, mandatory sterilization occurred after the birth of the second or third child. As the restrictions tightened a few years later, if a woman gave birth to two children, she had to be sterilized by law. Alternatively, in some cases, her husband could be sterilized instead.

In 1995, the People's Republic of China (PRC) warned against abortion and sterilization as a means of family planning and contraception. However, forced abortions and sterilizations continued to be used as a method of enforcing the one-child policy.

Between 1980 and 2014, 107-108 million sterilizations were performed on women in China. In 2013, the Chinese government revealed that, since the early 1970s, 196 million sterilizations had been performed.

In addition to forced sterilizations, other consequences for violating the one-child policy included forced abortions, fines, job loss, and other penalties.

Loss of employment

The one-child policy was enforced through a combination of incentives and sanctions. People who followed the policy could receive financial incentives and preferential employment opportunities. On the other hand, those who violated it faced economic sanctions, including fines and loss of employment. In some cases, local officials would even kick women in the belly and force them to go to the hospital for abortions and sterilizations.

The Chinese government estimates that the one-child policy prevented about 400 million births. While the policy was successful in curbing population growth, it also led to unintended consequences such as an aging population, a gender imbalance, and a shrinking workforce. By 2050, it is estimated that one in three Chinese people will be over the age of 60, creating a potential labor shortage and economic growth challenges.

The one-child policy was gradually phased out beginning in 2015, and in 2016, it was replaced by a two-child policy. However, the shift to a two-child policy did not lead to a significant increase in birth rates, as many Chinese couples chose to have only one child.

Children not legally recognised

The consequences of violating China's one-child policy were severe, and those who broke the law were often subjected to inhumane treatment. While the policy was not applicable to everyone in China, those who were subjected to it faced dire repercussions for non-compliance.

The methods used to enforce the policy included the distribution of contraceptives, financial sanctions, and, in some cases, forced abortions and sterilizations. The Chinese government revealed that, since the early 1970s, 336 million abortions and 196 million sterilizations had been performed as part of their population control efforts. Additionally, 403 million intrauterine devices had been inserted into women, often forcefully. These measures were taken to prevent an estimated 400 million births in China, according to government estimates.

The one-child policy had serious implications for China's demographics and economy. It resulted in a gender imbalance, with approximately 3% to 4% more males than females in the country's population. This imbalance was driven by a cultural preference for male children, leading to abortions of female fetuses, abandonment of baby girls, and even infanticide. As a result, there were fewer women of childbearing age in China, further contributing to the country's declining birth rates.

The one-child policy also led to a proliferation of undocumented, non-firstborn children. These children faced significant challenges as their undocumented status prevented them from legally leaving the country, obtaining a passport, or accessing public education. Their parents often faced fines or lost their jobs due to non-compliance with the policy.

The policy was officially discontinued in 2015, and China transitioned to a two-child policy, with all restrictions gradually loosened before the one-child policy officially ended in 2016. However, the damage caused by the one-child policy may have already been done, as China now faces a major aging crisis and a potential labor shortage.

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