Twins In China...?

[AKL_Megs]

I was just watching House Hunters, and it got me thinking...

The family had an adopted set of twin girls from China. I'm sure the parents gave the girls up for adoption for their own reasons, but with the "one child" rule, is a family who is expecting twins (or more), but who WANTS them, forced to put the second (third...) child up for adoption?

 

[luckyfin]

In actuality, its just that a woman can only give birth once. So twins (triplets, etc) would be legit.

 

[AKL_Megs]

In actuality, its just that a woman can only give birth once. So twins (triplets, etc) would be legit.

Didn't know that! Thanks!

 

[SandrA9810]

From what I've heard, it's not that they can't have more children. It's that only one child can receive benefits from the government. So in the eyes of the government, the other children do not exist so they parent has to provide everything, like medical care out of pocket.

 

[AKL_Megs]

From what I've heard, it's not that they can't have more children. It's that only one child can receive benefits from the government. So in the eyes of the government, the other children do not exist so they parent has to provide everything, like medical care out of pocket.

Huh. It is crazy all around, no matter how it works!

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

From what I've heard, it's not that they can't have more children. It's that only one child can receive benefits from the government. So in the eyes of the government, the other children do not exist so they parent has to provide everything, like medical care out of pocket.

This was told to my children by their Mandarin teacher. The other children can't even attend school.

 

[lizabu]

That's what I heard too. You can have more than one kid but they only give one child a birth certificate etc. And without it good luck getting a job (outside farm work) or a passport or getting into school.

 

[Hillbeans]

This was told to my children by their Mandarin teacher. The other children can't even attend school.

Yes this is true. My DH works in China and from what he told me, the fine for having a 2nd child can be as high as your annual salary. You would also have to pay for private school.

Essentially if you are wealthy it's not a problem.

PP was right, twins and triplets count as one birth so no fine or penalty.

 

[Poohforyou]

The laws vary in different parts of China. The rules are much more lax in rural areas since there isn't the kind of overcrowding like in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

The part of China my daughter is from some minority groups are encouraged to have as many children as they can since these groups are dying out. There are over 200 different minority groups with their own cultural history within China.

 

[Pigeon]

In urban areas it's one child. In rural areas, you are sometimes allowed a second birth if the first child is a daughter. If the first child is a son, you are generally done. But it is very much area dependent.

Minorities are typically have a higher quota, but it depends on the minority and local enforcement. Some of the fifty two recognized minorities are relatively high population and are subject to the same family planning restrictions as the Han majority.

You need to have a permit to get pregnant. So, if you had a legal pregnancy and it turned out to be twins, that would be OK.

There is not pressure to place children for adoption. Up until very recently, there was no legal mechanism to even do this. The family planning policies were put in place to deal with astronomically steep population growth the country was facing in the 80s. If a couple produced lots of kids and they all ended up in orphanages, that would not reduce the population.

 

[SaraJayne]

This is a bit OT, but I watched that same show last night (House Hunters on Vacation) and those twins were so full of love and such a ray of sunshine!

What a delight they must be for their family.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

If you have more than one successful pregnancy you will not be eligible for incentives.

 

[Tinkermommy]

My friends are Chinese and have lived here for 15 years (they both have recently become American citizens). They have had two sons since they have lived here.

When they go back to China to visit, my friend says people often come up to her asking how she can have two sons. They are angry about it.

She tells them her sons are American.

I think there is also a lot of social pressure to only have one child as well. People may resent you for having more than one.

 

[3boymthr]

The laws definitely vary. In fact, I was watching a show about this recently and found this article about the population imbalance. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5953508/ns/world_news/t/china-grapples-legacy-its-missing-girls/