EPTOn July 28 2009 17:04 Orlandu wrote:
That's probably because either the mom or the dad (or both) can claim to be an ethnic minority (even though in reality they may not fully be). Generally speaking, that's the loophole for getting around the one child policy. There may be other ways of getting around it (such as having twins I believe), but usually those families that are purely Han will have to pay a fine of some sort.
The one child policy really only applies to pure Han families, because there are so many Han Chinese. Ethnic minorities receive quite a bit of special benefits from the government, and this is pretty commonly abused.
That's probably because either the mom or the dad (or both) can claim to be an ethnic minority (even though in reality they may not fully be). Generally speaking, that's the loophole for getting around the one child policy. There may be other ways of getting around it (such as having twins I believe), but usually those families that are purely Han will have to pay a fine of some sort.
The one child policy really only applies to pure Han families, because there are so many Han Chinese. Ethnic minorities receive quite a bit of special benefits from the government, and this is pretty commonly abused.
Just want to add my own 2c to the issue.
I don't think most people are aware of this but the biggest deterrent of one-child policy is not the fine but it's leverage over people in employment.
This is especially true for people who work for the party or government. The two are not mutualy exclusive however they exist as two functional entities.
People who have more than one kid will suffer promotion setbacks, reduced benefits etc. What would the peasants think if the officials who regulate them have more kids than they do?
The fine is a non-issue really for any middle class urban family but the cost and hassle of keeping the second child is huge.
On the ground level, the policy is draconian and needs major revision. Peasants and low-income family are the ones getting shafted.
Personally I think the policy is out of date. China is certainly rich enough to raise more babies. The problem is the infrastructure. If you think your health care is bad, go visit Chinese hospitals. School is already overcrowded. I just hope that the surplus we have now can tranform into something positive so on this matter I fully agree on OP's analysis.
I don't think the minority loop hole is a big issue. Most Hans who have minority ancestry don't care or don't know about this.
