人口與健康參考譯文:第三篇 Passage 3

第三篇 Passage 3

With tremendous efforts made in the implementation of a population and family planning program during the past decades, great achievements have been scored, with excessive population growth brought under effective control, Zhang Weiqing, minister of the State Family Planning Commission, said at a press conference sponsored by the Information Office of the State Council in Beijing on December 19.

The past 20-odd years witnessed a reduction of more than 300 million births, which has not only helped to reduce the social cost for the upbringing of children but also to alleviate the pressure upon resources and environment. According to him, the Chinese government pays great attention to the issue of population and has tackled it as an issue of considerable magnitude for a long time.

After the introduction of the reform and opening policies late in the 1970s, China formulated a basic state policy to promote family planning in an all-round way so as to slow down population growth and improve its quality in terms of health and education. The government encourages late marriage and late childbearing, and advocates the practice of“one couple, one child”, and of“having a second child with proper spacing in accordance with laws and regulations”. Family planning is also advocated among the ethnic minorities. Various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government have formulated their own policies and regulations according to local conditions.

China's family planning policy combines government guidance with the wishes of the common people. The basic requirements of family planning are late marriage and late childbearing, so as to have fewer but healthier babies, especially one child per couple. In rural areas, couples may have a second baby in exceptional cases, but must wait several years after the birth of the first child. In areas inhabited by minority peoples, each ethnic group may work out different regulations in accordance with its wish, populations, natural resources, economy, culture and customs. In general a couple may have a second baby, or a third child in some places. As for ethnic minorities with extremely small populations, a couple may have as many children as they want.

Profound changes have taken place in the people's viewpoints on marriage, childbearing and the family. Late marriage, late childbearing and fewer but healthier babies are the accepted norms of most people in China. Now the people have a common understanding that there is no difference between a son and a daughter. It has become a custom to set up a small happy, but harmonious family, and pursue a scientific and civilized life style. Meanwhile, family planning has helped Chinese women get rid of the burden of frequent childbearing and the heavy family burden after marriage, thus raising women's status and improving the health of both mothers and children.

At the conference, Zhang also pointed out that the contradiction between population and development in China has remained sharp, and there are still many difficulties and challenges. The population growth will continue for a prolonged period of time, with an annual net increase of over 10 million in the next decade or so, which will exert great pressure on economy, society, resources, environment and the sustained development as a whole. It is difficult to change entirely the relatively low-level population quality in a short time, which is incompatible with the rapid development of science and technology. Meanwhile the service cannot meet the need of the people who require less but healthy babies.

China will strive to control its population within 1.4 billion by the year 2010, halt the deterioration of the environment and noticeably improve it, and enhance resources management. It is an arduous and important task for the Party and the whole nation. As the world's most populous developing nation, we must always see population control, preservation of resources and environmental protection from a strategic point of view. In the 21st century, China must continue to make great efforts to stabilize the fertility level, maintain rational use and strict management of resources, and protect and improve the environment.

Our success or failure will have a direct bearing on the country's economic and social security, the quality of people's lives and the long-term development of China. In the new century, it is imperative that we earnestly carry out the decisions of the Party and Central government on family planning and the stabilization of a low fertility. In developing China's vast western region, it is also necessary to handle well the relationship between economic development and population control.

The future work is more arduous and cannot be slack. The Chinese government firmly believes that China's population and development cause will develop further in the 21st century and China will make still greater contribution to the civilization and progress of mankind.