HONG KONG, CHINA (Catholic Online) - This week, officials in Beijing published a report from the China Development Research Foundation that calls for an end to the country's onerous one-child policy. 
China's one-child policy is a convoluted mix of rules applying differently to people in various situations. In some cases, such as in rural areas and with ethnic minorities, two children are allowed if the first is a girl. However, the policy mandates under force of law the destruction of any child in the womb for any mother who has previously had a child. 

Some wealthy and well-connected people have been able to publicly flaunt the law, creating public resentment. Likewise, impoverished mothers who break the law can face terrible fines, after having their child torn forcibly from their womb. 

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the foundation is recommending a two-child policy in some provinces which will be nationwide by 2015. The report adds that by 2020, all limits should be dropped, allowing mothers the freedom to carry their children without fear of violence.

Xinhua says the report cites political and social costs for the policy which was originally designed to address overpopulation and poverty. 

While birth rates did decline, China's young population became skewed towards males so that there is an entire generation of young men without much hope of finding wives. Chinese culture favors male children over female, which contributes to the imbalance. 

This imbalance creates a number of unique challenges that are national in scope and have never been dealt with by any nation before. 

It is unclear if Chinese leaders will accept the recommendation, but given the official capacity of the foundation, it is likely it will come to pass, at least in some form. Adding to the uncertainty is a transition of power in the Chinese government that is scheduled to take place on November 8. The sweeping change occurs once every 10 years. With new ministers in place, it is hoped they will liberalize the one-child policy. 

The government has long credited the one-child policy as a responsible measure which has brought families out of poverty. However, the public knows this to be false in many respects. Poverty in China is not caused by children, but rather by the economic conditions created by a centralized, planned economy.  

While China has taken many steps to liberalize the economy, the one-child policy has remained in place. 

The public also despises the forced abortions, sterilizations, and general evil of the one-child policy. Many have lashed out recently, documenting various horrors on blogs and publishing graphic photos to the internet. These seemingly small acts of rebellion have repeatedly gone viral and inflamed public resentment of the policy. 

Demographers also criticize the policy saying it has created a situation where an entire generation of workers will soon retire without the labor of a larger, younger generation to support them. 

The Chinese communist government does not have a reputation for compassion, but it does have a reputation for efficiency - at least in some respects. The report submitted to the leadership appears to speak the language of efficiency, which increases the odds that it will be fully appreciated and accepted. 

As for the people, they know the policy is evil. China has a long cultural tradition of morally strong people whose emphasis is on the family. The one-child policy has trampled on this great traditional value. Hopefully, the time to correct that has finally come. 

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.