China Reportedly Relaxes One-Child Policy

China is to relax its stringent one-child policy and allow an estimated 60 million people to have up to two children, a minister said Jan. 31. In a press conference Zhang Yuqin, vice minister for family planning, said couples who were born in single child families would be allowed to have up to two children under new rules that were actually introduced in the summer, but largely kept under wraps. "The critical period will be around 2005 when a large number of only children, born in the '80s, will reach reproductive age," she says. "We carried out a survey of young, single people most of whom said they would not want several children." Most people have been unaware of the new regulation. Zhang refused to estimate by how much the population figures would be affected by the new official stance