On 17 December 2006, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council jointly promulgated the Decision on Fully Enhancing Population and Family Planning Program and Comprehensively Addressing Population Issues (the "Decision").The Decision is a programmatic document guiding population and family planning program in the new era. Its promulgation marks the entry of China'spopulation and family planning program into a new stage of stabilizing the low fertility level, addressing population issues in a comprehensive way and promoting all-round human development.

The Decision represents a significant strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on the principles of liberalizing people's minds, seeking truth from facts and keeping pace with the time, in view of the general situation of reform, development and stability, and on the basis of an accurate understanding of population development trends at home and abroad, full absorption of the outcomes of the strategic research on national population development, and comprehensive summary of the practical experience in implementing the long-term population and family planning program.

Promulgation of the Decision is of great immediate significance and far-reaching historical implications for guiding the population and family planning program with the scientific development concept in the overall sense, for stabilizing the low fertility level and addressing population issues in a comprehensive way, for promoting all-round human development, for facilitating coordinated and sustainable development between population on the one side, and economy, society, resources and environment on the other, and for accelerating the construction of an all-inclusive well-off society and the building of a harmonious socialist society. The Decision consists of nine parts.

Part I: Develop keen awareness of the importance and imperativeness of fully enhancing population and family planning program in China.

While fully affirming the great accomplishments of population and family planning program, Part I profoundly analyzes the current China's population situation and its severe challenges, and incisively describes the important status and role of population and family planning program in economic and social development. It points out explicitly that population development in China exhibits unprecedented complexity and that the low fertility level is under realistic risk of rebounding. It emphasizes that the China's national situation featuring co-existence of a large population and limited per capita resources, heavy population pressure on economic and social development, and tension between population, resources and environment are prominent contradictions and problems on the Chinese way towards an all-inclusive well-off society and a harmonious socialist society. Part I goes on to state that all substantial issues that China encounters in its efforts to achieve better and faster economic and social development are, without exception, closely related to quantity, quality, structure and distribution of the population, that any error committed on population issues will exert long-term irreversible impacts on economic and social development and that relentless efforts are required to succeed in population and family planning program in the new era

Part II: Resolutely follow the approach of comprehensively addressing population issues with Chinese characteristics.

This part of the Decision summarizes the basic experiences China has accumulated through its more than 30 years' implementation of population and family planning program, and defines the overall thinking for population and family planning program after its entry into the new stage of stabilizing the low fertility level, addressing population issues in a comprehensive way and promoting all-round human development.Part II puts forward the following requirements: adhere to the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, fully implement the scientific development concept, prioritize investment in all-round human development, stabilize the low fertility level, upgrade population quality in terms of health and education, improve population structure, guide rational geographical distribution of population, ensure population security, promote the transformation of China from a populous country to a country competitive in human capital and facilitate coordinated and sustainable development between population on the one side, and economy, society, resources and environment on the other.It also emphasizes that the priority of and challenge to population and family planning program both lie in rural China and that rural population and family planning program should be incorporated into the overall layout of constructing a new socialist countryside.

Part III: Stabilize the low fertility level with all efforts.

According to the Decision, stabilization of the low fertility level is a primary task for population and family planning program in the new era; China needs to limit its total population (excluding Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and TaiwanProvince) within 1.36 billion by the end of the 11th Five-Year Plan Period and limit the total population around 1.45 billion with a stabilized total fertility rate (TFR) below replacement level by 2020. Part III highlights the need for China to never waver over the implementation of the fundamental national policy of family planning and stabilization of the existing fertility policy, never waver over the practice of holding top leaders of the CPC committees and governments directly responsible for population and family planning program, never waver over stabilization of institutional and human resources devoted to population and family planning program, and never waver over innovation of systems, mechanisms, means and approaches for population and family planning program. It also requires integration of administration-of-law, ideological, political education and benefit orientation as well as the establishment and improvement of a long-term program mechanism that features rule-of-law, villagers or residents' self-governance, quality services, policy facilitation and comprehensive advancement. Part III puts forward the concept that "since families that practice family planning have made their contributions to the whole country, the government should enable such families to enjoy priority in sharing the fruits of reform and development." It also requires the establishment and improvement of a benefit-oriented policy system for population and family planning that features government dominance and social supplement.

Part IV: Vigorously upgrade the general health of newborn population.

This part of the Decision requires full implementation of birth-defect intervention projects, dissemination of scientific knowledge about prevention of birth defects, advocacy of scientific premarital medical checkups, enhancement of counseling, guidance on marriage and child-bearing, provision of post-partum follow-up visits, disease screening of newborns and recovery of diseased babies, as well as study and evaluation of material risky factors that lead to birth defects. Part III also emphasizes the need to carry out early education of baby children and enhance social behavioral education and cultivation of the only children.

Part V: Comprehensively address abnormal sex ratio at birth.

This part emphasizes the establishment of a working mechanism that addresses both the current problems and root causes and features leadership by the CPC committees and governments, cross-department coordination and public participation. It calls for further implementation of the Care for Girl Children Project and elimination of gender discrimination. In this part, the Decision stresses upon formulation of social and economic policies in favor of healthy growth of girls and development of women and protection of women's rights and interests according to law. Part V also requires improvement to relevant laws, policies and the regulatory system to strictly prohibit sex identification of the fetus or sex-selective pregnancy termination for non-medical purpose andenable sex ratio at birth to return to normal.

Part VI: Constantly improve the management and service delivery system for migrant population.

Part VI describes the policy measures for enhancing management and services for migrant population and guiding orderly movement of the population. It highlights establishment of a new mechanism in population and family planning program for uniform management and quality services for migrants, and practice of "management according to habitual residence and provision of equal services to migrants and native residents" to safeguard legitimate rights and interests of the migrants.According to Part VI, relevant authorities should enhance mutual communication and coordination; duties and responsibilities of origin and destination localities should be clarified; and performance assessments in management-by-objectives shall be conducted in both original and destination localities with focus on the latter.

Part VII: Proactively respond to population ageing.

The Decision defines the policy framework for responding to population ageing. It emphasizes that development of the social security system should prioritize gradual establishment of an old-age security system that covers both rural and urban residents, and that the future system serving and caring for seniors should be based on family care for the aged, supported by community services and supplemented by institutional services for seniors. Part VII requires efforts to establish all types of senior organizations, community premises and service facilities that promote old-age activities, explore the construction of a social service system and vigorously develop the undertakings for the aged.

Part VIII: Effectively increase guaranteed inputs into the population and family planning cause.

This part of the Decision stresses upon the need to increase inputs into the population and family planning cause in terms of public finance, infrastructure, human resources and science/technology. It defines rigid indicators including growth rate of fiscal input, key projects for which input should be guaranteed and per capita input by the end of the 11th Five-Year Plan Period. Part VIII also calls for enhancing management and service systems of implementation departments, service delivery centers, self-governance bodies and public communities, improving professional development of population and family planning workers, accelerating information and communication technology (ICT) development, promoting innovation in family planning and reproductive health and vigorously developing family planning and reproductive health industries.

Part IX: Further enhance leadership over population and family planning program.

According to the Decision, policy-making and dynamic management mechanisms should be established and improved for addressing population issues in a comprehensive way; local leading bodies and coordinating mechanism for population and family planning program at all levels need further improvement; the responsibility system for management-by-objectives should be enhanced; and non-government organizations such as family planning associations should play a vital role in grass roots population and family planning activities. Part IX emphasizes the following requirements, i.e., enhance rule-of-law in population and family planning program and effectively protect legitimate rights of the public to family planning; stabilize and improve grass roots population and family planning setups and their human resources, and define the nature of clinical service centers as serving the public good; upgrade IEC efforts and expand coverage and impact of IEC activities; and enhance international exchanges and cooperation in population and development and further promote the development of human rights undertakings.

(China Development Gateway January 23, 2007)