Wang Feng on family planning

The population growth rate of the Han people in the Xinjiang Uygur (Uighur) Autonomous Region, northwest China, has dropped from 24.26/1000 in 1975 to 14.86/1000, while the rate in cities and farms densely populated by Han people has been reduced to under 10/1000. This figure was made public recently by Wang Fang, chairman of the regional revolutionary committee, in his work report delivered at the 2nd session of the 5th regional people's congress. The region has a population of 11 million, about 1/2 of whom are people of Han nationality. Wang Feng stressed that Xinjiang's family planning work is mainly to be done among the Han people. "Family planning is not emphasized among the minority nationalities," he pointed, "but technical guidance should be made available for those who have too many children, who have given birth to children at very short intervals or who wish to practice birth control." The objectives set forth by Wang Feng for family planning in the region are: the population growth rate of the region is to drop to about 12/1000 in 1980 and to about 8% by 1985. Practical measures should be taken to reach the objectives, Wang Feng said. They include: improving care for women and children, rewarding couples who limit themselves to a single child and gradually introducing social insurance for old people who are childless; criticizing those cadres of Han nationality who do not practice family planning when they are required to, training personnel to carry out education in birth control, improving related techniques and providing safe sterilization operations; and insuring efficient supply of contraceptives.

Male sterilization

More than 50,000 men have received spermatic duct injections, a new method of male sterilization, in densely populated Sichuan Province since 1972. The new method is to inject 0.02 milliliters of a phenol mixture into the spermatic duct and to block the duct for 1.5 centimeters. The method takes less than 10 minutes, which involves no surgical operation. The method was devised by Li Chunqiang, a surgeon at the Chongqing No. 1 workers' hospital, who is also deputy director of the city's research institute on family planning. Examinations of the seminal fluid of 1629 men who had the injections showed that 92.04% of their sperm disappeared. The method has been shown to be 90.95% effective. This method is simple, safe and reliable, and less complicated than vasectomy. It reduced hematoma, infection and causes less damage to surrounding tissue.

Qinghai achieves good results in planned parenthood

After 8 days in session the Qinghai provincial meeting of representatives of advanced collectives and individuals in planned parenthood and maternal and child health work concluded in Xining on May 6. The meeting discussed and studied the population plan for our province and the specific policies and stipulations on planned parenthood, summed up and exchanged experiences and appraised and awarded 62 advanced collectives and 32 advanced individuals. Ma Wanli, vice chairman of the provincial revolutionary committee, and responsible comrades of the provincial culture and education office, public health units, trade union organizations, women's federations, commercial organizations, party schools, and other departments concerned were present at the closing ceremony. The advanced collectives and individuals were given awards at the ceremony and Comrade Ma Wanli spoke. Representatives attending the meeting said: Over the past several years, Qinghai's planned parenthood and maternal and child health work have been extensively developed in the cities and rural areas under the leadership of party committees at all levels. Great results have been achieved. The rate of Qinghai's population increase was reduced from 1971's 32.4/1000 persons to 1978's 19.4/1000 persons, hitting the target set by the state for our province. The natural rate of increase in some communes was reduced to less than 12/1000 persons.

Sichuan adopts family planning measures

The revolutionary committee of Sichuan Province recently issued a series of measures on family planning, which came into effect on a trial basis from March 1. Sichuan is the province with the biggest population in China, accounting for 10% of the country's total. The trial measures provide for working parents who have only 1 child and who guarantee not to have a 2nd to receive 5 yuan a month in child welfare subsidies till the child is 14 years old. Such 1 child families will also be entitled to an equal amount of living space as a family of 4 and the child will have priority of admission to schools and factories provided they meet the entrance requirements. Peasant families which have only 1 child and guarantee not to have a 2nd are eligible for the following: Production teams give a sum of money equal to 3 workdays/month till the child is 14 years old and the child received an adult's grain ration and counts as 1.5 persons in distributions of plots of private use. If a child becomes disabled or dies, parents may have another child and enjoy the same treatment. In addition, the new regulations state that the "state and the people's communes guarantee that the standard of living of old widows and widowers will be a little higher than that of other commune peasants in the locality. People of the province in every walk of life warmly support the publication of the new measures. It is estimated that about 24% of the families with only 1 child in a Chongqing District will not have the 2nd. 86 1-child families in 1 rural people's commune have taken birth control measures. Women cadres and medical workers throughout the province have been very active in carrying out educational programs on family planning. Population growth in the province was 3.11% in 1970 and 0.867 in 1977. It dropped to 0.606 last year. The figure is slightly higher than for Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Speaking about the importance of the new economic measures, Liu Haiquan, vice-chairman of the provincial revolutionary committee, said: "In a socialist society, the population factor is closely connected with the planned, proportionate development of the national economy. Bearing children is also a matter of economics."

Guiyang Guizhou (Kweiyang Kweichow) Provincial Service. Population growth rate noted in Guizhou figures

In compliance with Chairman Mao's instruction that it is necessary to control population, party committees at all levels in Tongren [Tunjen] Prefecture have strengthened leadership over planned parenthood work. They have lowered the prefecture's population growth rate from 28.2/1000 in 1974 to 12/1000 in 1977, reaching the average level for the whole country. Tongren and Yinjiang [Yinchaing] counties, 21 districts, 4 counties, and 171 communes have fulfilled 3 years ahead of schedule the population plan target for the 5th 5-year plan. Planned parenthood work has shown further development this year. By the end of September, the whole prefecture had overfulfilled by 10% the sterilization operation quota allocated by the province 3 months ahead of schedule and laid a better foundation for continuously lowering the population growth rate. It is estimated that the natural rate of population growth will fall to 10/1000 this year. The vigorous grasping of planned parenthood has gradually benefitted the planned development of the national economy, the health of mothers and children and production, work and study.

Kweichow planned parenthood conference

On December 5th the Kweichow Provincial Planned Parenthood Leadership Group held its 1st conference to discuss the problems of planned parenthood in the province. Miao Chun-ting, deputy secretary of the provincial CCP committee and head of the provincial planned parenthood leadership group, presided over the conference.