Published: June 1st, 2021,
Last updated: January 2nd, 2023
Today is Children’s Day. But the fact that the decision-makers in Beijing announced the three-child policy just one day earlier is seen by many Chinese more as an affront than a family-friendly measure intended to boost the birth rate in the People’s Republic. Because to achieve this, there should have been childcare subsidies, reductions in the horrendous school fees in the big cities, or simply a plan on how to reconcile work and family life in an increasingly competitive environment. Michael Radunski spoke with sociologists and family experts about the core of the surprising „three instead of one“ family plan and shows that concerns about an aging society are driving those in power in Beijing. A shortage of young workers threatens a „decline in the economy.“ China could lose its most important trump card in the struggle with the US.