China’s One Child Policy Suspended

The earthquake that rattled China has killed more than 65,000 people and more than 23,000 are still missing. Officials have not been able to estimate how many children have gone missing or have been killed.

However, since the quake, the country has suspended the one child only policy for quake only victims.

Though commonly called a one-child policy, the rules offer a welter of exceptions and loopholes, some of them put into practice because of widespread opposition to the limits.

The one child policy has prevented over 400 million births but it has also led to abortions, sterilizations, and an imbalanced sex ration. Additionally, couples have often been punished with fines for more than one child. But, if one of their children was killed in the earthquake they will no longer have to pay that fine (but won’t be refunded).