‘Two sessions’ 2022: from AI to tax cuts, Beijing grasps for solutions to its population crisis

Name: China tackles challenges posed by its ageing population
Uploaded: 2022-03-07T11:30:20.000Z
Duration: 7 min 2 s
Description: China tackles challenges posed by its ageing population

Delegates at China’s ‘two sessions’ have raised pronatalist proposals such as encouraging postgraduate students to get married and using artificial intelligence

China’s population is ageing rapidly and births are plunging, a combination that threatens to weigh on economic productivity and burden the health care system

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China’s population is ageing rapidly and births are plunging. Photo: AFP

Luna Sun

Published: 7:30pm, 7 Mar 2022

China has rolled out a raft of proposals on how to incentivise women to have children, including encouraging postgraduate students to get married, subsidising kindergarten and greater use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education to reduce costs and save time for families.

The ideas, discussed at the annual “two sessions” parliamentary gathering that started on Friday, come against a backdrop of growing concern about the nation’s demographic challenges.

China’s population is ageing rapidly and births are plunging, a combination that threatens to weigh on economic productivity and burden the health care system.

Parliamentary delegates have raised numerous pronatalist proposals such as removing all family planning restrictions, offering free kindergarten for a family’s third child and free day care at workplaces, as well as lowering mortgage rates and personal income tax for families raising multiple children.

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China tackles challenges posed by its ageing population

Zhou Yanfang, a delegate to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and a deputy general manager at Pacific Medical & Healthcare Management, said there needed to be policies to encourage female graduate and doctorate students to have children, while protecting their rights to do so.

She suggested they be allowed to take maternity leave and doctorate students be given stipends during the time off. Graduation should be able to be postponed accordingly. Universities should also be equipped with maternity and infant health services, while offering counselling services to the student mothers.

The proposal created a stir online, sparking accusations it would stoke gender discrimination within academia and demands that people’s choices be respected.

“I think this delegate’s suggestion is unnecessary,” said independent demographer He Yafu.