For 35 years, the Chinese government limited families to having one child. This week that policy changed and most families now have the option of having two children. The Communist party declared the previous policy a success. Population control was part of a political plan to reduce the number of people and raise the per capita income. Families who want to have more children welcomed this announcement. Others were more cynical, asking if the government will now force them to have more children. Listen to this story to hear various opinions about this policy change in China.
Story Length: 3:00
© 2015 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.
AIR DATE: 10/30/2015
October 27, 2015
2:11
Pandas from China have served as fluffy diplomats between the Communist China and the Democratic United States. In 1972, the Smithsonian National Zoo first received their first pair of pandas from China as “gesture of goodwill” following President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China. Panda diplomacy continues today as a newborn panda's name was unveiled at the National Zoo. Listen to the story and learn more about the newest link between the world’s two largest economies.
Read MoreAugust 30, 2015
4:14
Since June 2015, the stock market in China has been posting losses, falling as much as 11% in one week. The crash in China has spilled over into global markets. Last week the Dow Jones, a U.S. stock market index, closed below 17,000 for the first time in almost a year, possibly due to fear that the plunging Chinese economy will bring others down with it. The government in China has been trying to manage its economy by cutting rates and announcing a surprise currency devaluation, but these efforts are not stopping the drop. What more can they do? Listen to hear from investment experts about the stock market crash in China.
Read MoreJune 9, 2015
5:11
Since the end of World War II, the United States has served as a dominant military and political power in Asia. The enormous economic growth of China has some former U.S. diplomats worried. When China’s economy shifted from pure government control to a more mixed model they widened their international impact and their scope of interest. Should we continue to see China as a solid ally in the region or as a powerful potential rival? Listen to hear why to former diplomats argue that China is a threat.
Read More
