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The '''One-child Policy''', known also as the Family Planning Policy, was a policy in [[Communist]] [[China]], initiated in 1979, that prohibited any family in urban China from having more than one child. The policy did not apply to rural families. It was an attempt by the government to limit China's population and was often broken by citizens who can afford to pay the fines.

The '''One-child Policy''', known also as the Family Planning Policy, was a policy in [[Communist]] [[China]], initiated in 1979, that prohibited any family in urban China from having more than one child. The policy did not apply to rural families. It was an attempt by the government to limit China's population and was often broken by citizens who can afford to pay the fines.

The policy was backed up by draconian laws that impose fines many times a poor person's annual income, and local officials are frequently known to coerce, or even force women who do not have a birth permit to undergo an abortion, because their own livelihoods are on the line if their district's birthrate exceeds the official quota. Couples who defied the policy may also lose their jobs.

The policy was backed up by draconian laws that impose fines many times a poor person's annual income, and local officials are frequently known to coerce, or even force women who do not have a birth permit to undergo an abortion, because their own livelihoods are on the line if their district's birthrate exceeds the official quota. Couples who defied the policy may also lose their jobs.  Violation of the policy was the basis for denial of membership or get violators kicked out of the party.

In much of rural China, couples have a strong preference for male children for cultural and financial reasons. A male child will inherit the possessions of his parents, carry on the family name and any business, and work to support the parents when they are too old to support themselves. A female child, in comparison, will serve only to marry into another family, and contribute nothing to the property of her parents. Thus the demand for a male child is easily strong enough that rural families will often selectively abort baby girls before birth.  This has already caused an asymmetry between China's male population and female population in some rural areas, with the male population vastly out-numbering the female population.  And others speculate that China will become "the world's first gay superpower".<ref>''America Alone'' by [[Mark Steyn]].</ref>

In much of rural China, couples have a strong preference for male children for cultural and financial reasons. A male child will inherit the possessions of his parents, carry on the family name and any business, and work to support the parents when they are too old to support themselves. A female child, in comparison, will serve only to marry into another family, and contribute nothing to the property of her parents. Thus the demand for a male child is easily strong enough that rural families will often selectively abort baby girls before birth.  This has already caused an asymmetry between China's male population and female population in some rural areas, with the male population vastly out-numbering the female population.  And others speculate that China will become "the world's first gay superpower".<ref>''America Alone'' by [[Mark Steyn]].</ref>