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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 February 2009
China's bitter population dilemma is clearly summarized in just one short statement from the People's Daily: “We insist on family planning, but generally speaking we think it is a good thing to have a large population.” For the past two decades China's population policy has been shrouded in secrecy, has been expressed only through Communist polemic and has suffered from apparent indecision and consequent vacillations. Official thinking on this subject is almost never expressed in direct statements and proclamations. It must be gleaned from casual remarks by Chinese leaders, from newspaper and magazine articles and official radio broadcasts, which usually discuss implementation but omit reference to the initial decision, and from visitors to China who describe the visible signs that suggest a particular policy is currently in effect.
1 Jen-min jih-pao (People's Daily), 15 04 1959Google Scholar, as quoted by Michael, Freeberne, in “Birth Control in China,” Population Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1 (07 1964).Google Scholar
2 For example, see Michael Freeberne, “Birth Control in China,” loc. cit.; H. Yuan, Tien, “Birth Control in Mainland China—Ideology and Politics,” Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly (New York), 07 1963Google Scholar; also my “Birth Control: Reversal or Post-ponement?” The China Quarterly, No. 3 (1960)Google Scholar and “A New Birth Control Campaign?” The China Quarterly, No. 12 (1962).Google Scholar
3 Most of the information came from Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS), Bio-Medical Science Abstracts. In some instances original articles were obtained for additional information or verification.Google Scholar
4 New China News Agency (NCNA), 7 December 1965.Google Scholar
5 Kuang-tung i-hsueh hsien-tai i-hsueh pan (Kwangtung Medical Journal—Modern Medicine Edition), Vol. 4, No. 3 (06 1966).Google Scholar
6 It is important to give this figure some perspective. In a commune of 53,000 persons, there would be approximately 3,800 women between the ages of 20 and 29. Although, of course, the use of the IUD is not limited to this age group, the relationship between the 547 IUD insertions and the age group (almost 15 per cent.) does show the significance of the effort.Google Scholar
7 Kuang-ming jih-pao (Kuang-ming Daily), 19 12 1954.Google Scholar
8 Majima, Kan, “The Birth Control Controversy in China: Induced Abortion Is Coming Into the Foreground,” Bungei Shunju (Literary Magazine) (02 1965). Dr. Majima's first-hand observations may have been somewhat biased since not only was he a proponent of induced abortions, but the purpose of his visit was to teach and discuss abortion procedures with the Chinese medical personnel.Google Scholar
9 Chung-hua fu-ch'an-k'o tsa-chih (Chinese Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics), Vol. 11, No. 1 (01 1965).Google Scholar
10 Shan-hsi i-hsueh tsa-chih (Shansi Medical Journal), No. 3 (03 1966).Google Scholar
11 Chung-hua fu-ch'an-k'o tsa-chih (Chinese Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics), Vol. 12, No. 4 (07 1966).Google Scholar
12 ibid. Vol. 10, No. 3 (May 1964); summarized in JPRS, No. 42,352 (28 08 1967).Google Scholar
13 Chung-hua wai-k'o tsa-chih (Chinese Journal of Surgery), Vol. 14, No. 1 (01 1966)Google Scholar; summarized in JPRS, No. 36,889 (9 08 1966).Google Scholar
14 Shan-hsi i-hsueh tsa-chih (Shansi Medical Journal), No. 3 (03 1966).Google Scholar
15 Chung-hua wai-k'o tsa-chih (Chinese Journal of Surgery), Vol. 12, No. 2 (02 1964)Google Scholar; summarized in JPRS, No. 42,751 (26 09 1967).Google Scholar
16 ibid. Vol. 12, No. 3 (March 1964); summarized in JPRS, No. 42,751 (26 09 1967).Google Scholar
17 Liao-ning i-hsueh (Liaoning Medicine), No. 2 (02 1966)Google Scholar; summarized in JPRS, No. 43,345 (16 11 1967).Google Scholar
18 ibid.
19 Chung-hua fu-ch'an-k'o tsa-chih (Chinese Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics), Vol. 10, No. 1 (01 1964)Google Scholar; summarized in JPRS, No. 42,393 (1 09 1967).Google Scholar
20 ibid. Vol. 10, No. 3 (May 1964); summarized in JPRS, No. 42,352 (28 08 1967).Google Scholar
21 ibid. Vol. 9, No. 2 (March 1963); summarized in JPRS, No. 43,228 (3 11 1967).Google Scholar
22 Shan-tung i-k'an (Shantung Medical Journal), No. 1 (01 1964)Google Scholar; summarized in JPRS, No. 45,847 (3 07 1968).Google Scholar
23 ibid. No. 2 (February 1966); summarized in JPRS, No. 44,992 (9 04, 1968).Google Scholar
24 ibid.
25 Chung-hua fu-ch'an-k'o tsa-chih (Chinese Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics), Vol. II, No. 6 (11 1965)Google Scholar; summarized in JPRS, No. 35,979 (14 06 1966).Google Scholar
26 Chung-hua i-hsueh tsa-chih (National Medical Journal of China), Vol. 50, No. 2 (02 1964)Google Scholar; summarized in JPRS, No. 43,072 (24 10 1967).Google Scholar
