China to provide better service after 'two-child' policy

BEIJING - China will provide better family planning services following removal of the country's one-child policy, according to a decision approved by the top leadership on Monday.

At a meeting presided over by Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's General Secretary Xi Jinping on Monday, the committee's political bureau approved a decision to improve family planning services for the two-child policy.

The CPC attaches great importance to population and family planning work, taking into consideration both demographic issues and development, and is constantly improving the family planning policy, a statement issued after the meeting said.

After long-term efforts, the rampant growth of China's population has been contained and quality of life for the population has been substantially raised.

Implementing a "two-child" policy and improving family planning management are major steps to promote the balanced development of the population, which are conducive to optimizing demographic structure, increasing labor supply and easing the pressure of an aging society, the statement said.

At a key meeting in late October, the CPC Central Committee decided to end the one-child policy, allowing all couples to have a second child. The move is intended to balance population development and address the challenges of an ageing population.

At Monday's meeting, the top leadership called for further adherence to the family planning policy as a basic state policy and coordinated reforms for family planning, service management and family development support.

It also called for improved birth registration, coordinated policies concerning education, social security, employment and appropriately distributing public services resources.

Women and children's medical care capacity should be improved, and the related medical workers should be better trained. It also called for strengthened support to families that follow the family planning policy, addressing the difficulties of the livelihood of some families.