China's child policy change positive: Canadian experts

Canadian experts said China's new policy allowing Chinese couples to have two children is "not surprising" and is a "positive change."

On Thursday, the Communist Party of China (CPC) announced a decision to eliminate the country's one-child policy after a key meeting.

The change of policy is intended to balance population development and address the challenge of an aging population, according to a communique issued following the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

"Today's move isn't surprising, as it has been a slow, deliberate process, and there had been hints of things moving in this direction," said Yves Tiberghien, director of the University of British Columbia (UBC)'s Institute of Asian Research.

"I think it's a very positive change," said Douglas Cannon, a lawyer of Elgin Cannon & Associates in Vancouver.

"Hopefully this will improve the state of health for Chinese citizens, their economy, and - quite frankly - their family lives," he said. Endi