THE country yesterday released a decision on improving birth policies to promote long-term and balanced population development.

The decision allows a couple to have three children and draws up supporting measures to encourage births.

The decision on improving birth policies to promote long-term and balanced population development, dated June 26, 2021, was adopted by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

China will continue to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of families with only one child, according to the decision.

The country will continue to implement its current reward and assistance system and preferential policies for families with only one child and rural families with only two daughters, born before the two-child policy, said the decision.

Efforts will also be made to explore setting up a leave system for children from one-child families to care for their parents, said the decision.

According to the decision, the country will tighten supervision of human-assisted reproductive technology and related applications.

In order to enhance the level of prenatal and postnatal care services, the country will strengthen planning and exercise strict assessment for approval of the technology, so as to build a service system of human-assisted reproductive technology with balanced supply and demand, as well as rational arrangements, the decision noted.

It also highlighted the importance of preventing birth defects by ensuring the health of pregnant, lying-in women and children in the meantime.

Also yesterday, a document said that China will revise the law on population and family planning to legitimize the three-child policy.

The government will no longer charge a fine for couples who violate the family planning law to have more children than they are allowed, the document said.

How many children an individual has will no longer be a reference when he or she registers for a household account, enrolls in school, and applies for a job, the document said.

In addition, family planning authorities said yesterday that couples in certain parts of the country aspiring for a third child can go ahead with their family expansion plan from May 31 and apply for official documents later after new rules are formally in place.

(Xinhua, China Daily)