Speech While Receiving the Report of the National Conference of Directors of Family Planning Commissions (January 20, 1988)

Abstract

Family planning work throughout the country as a whole has achieved considerable success. In particular, since the Third Plenum of the Eleventh Central Committee, under the leadership of the party Central Committee, and owing to the joint efforts of the people of the entire country, the achievements have been even more remarkable than before. This is chiefly expressed by the fact that in the last few years, the natural growth rate of the population of our country has generally been controlled between 11 percent and 14 percent. This growth rate is lower than that in the 1950s and the 1960s, and lower than the average of the world's developing countries; indeed, it is lower than the world average at large. This is a result attained because we have carried out a rigorous policy of population control and family planning. Had we not done so, China's population today would not be 1.07 billion but would be a much larger number. If we were to project from the actual population growth rate of 1970, we would have, today, 200 million more people than we actually do have. So, to put it another way, in the last sixteen years, we have given birth to 200 million fewer people. Practice proves that the family planning policy our state has formulated is an accurate and successful one. It has had a tremendous impact on, and has made great contributions to, enhancing the quality of our Chinese nation and the prosperity of our nation. The attaining of this achievement can be attributed to the correct leadership of the party Central Committee and to the people's extraordinary efforts; this achievement also represents the condensation of the diligent and indefatigable labor of the broad ranks of those who work in the area of family planning. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to express, on behalf of the State Council, our deepest affectionate concern and heartfelt thanks to the comrades in the audience who are involved in the work of family planning and, through you, to the broad ranks of the people who work on the family planning front throughout the country!