Newswise — On Thursday, the Chinese Communist Party announced the end of the one-child policy, a decades-old system often criticized by human rights groups for its abuses. Jeremy Lee Wallace, an associate professor at Cornell University’s government department, says that the change is a “boon” for human rights, but it will not radically affect demographics trends.
Bio: www.government.arts.cornell.edu/faculty/wallace/ Wallace says:“The end of the one-child policy is a boon for the freedom and human rights of Chinese people, but is unlikely to affect overall demographic trends.
“From now on, couples that already have a child will not have to contemplate paying large fines, fleeing their jobs or the country, or terminating a pregnancy that they would like to see come to term.
“However, fertility rates are unlikely to skyrocket in ways that will slow down China’s rapid aging. Birth rates were already declining before the policy was implemented, and surveys suggest few parents today believe that they can afford a second child in China’s expensive urban areas.”
Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.
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