Keeping the Balance

By+Yin+Pumin

Preference for boys is not uncommon in China， particularly in the countryside， where thousands of years of feudal values still cast their shadow.

China introduced the family planning policy in the 1970s to curb the rapid population explosion. Many couples prefer boys over girls in the belief that males will better support their families as well as carry on the family line and inherit property， as is required in feudal values.

In Shandong Province， for instance， the sex ratio among newborns in 2013 was 116.6 to 100. This made 2013 the fourth consecutive year in which the ratio had narrowed in Shandong， but it is still “relatively high，” commented Lian Fang， an expert at the Reproductive and Genetic Center of the Hospital Affiliated with Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In his government work report on January 27， Governor Guo Shuqing said Shandong has a male-to-female ratio of 120：100 in some areas.

However， Shandongs situation only forms part of a bigger national problem.

Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show that， as of the end of 2014， the Chinese mainland had 33.76 million more males than females， with the sex ratio standing at 115.88 to 100. Though it is a six-year decrease， it still stands high above the international standard， making China one of the worlds worst countries in terms of gender imbalance.

A normal sex ratio at birth is commonly ranged between 103 and 107 baby boys for every 100 girls.

The gender imbalance has induced issues including marriage difficulties and human trafficking.

yuan xin， a professor with the Institute of Population and Development at Tianjin-based Nankai University， said a gender imbalance has existed in China for over 30 years， and the government could work harder to promote gender equality and provide more benefits to daughters-only families.

“Also， the government should enforce regulations against illegal gender checks and the abortions that occur as a result，” he said.

Huang Wenzheng， a demographer and former research fellow at Harvard University， believes that Chinas family planning policy has contributed to the low birth rate and worsening gender imbalance.

“Many people are asking the government to lift the family planning policy. The current spotlight on Shandong could make it a potential candidate for a pilot program，” Huang said.

A prolonged battle

Lisa Eklund， a sociologist from Lund University in Sweden， found that a preference for boys remains steady in rural China， while at the same time adult sons in cities have been given a more important role in providing for the social and financial security of the elderly.

“The slow-changing preference for boys in the country， especially in its rural areas， is the root cause for the gender imbalance，” said Zhai Zhenwu， a professor at the School of Sociology and Population Studies at Renmin University of China.

Further， Gao Liping， a demography expert with the Shandong Academy of Social Sciences， said the advancement of medical technology has given more power to problematic traditional values.

“B ultrasound and DNA detection have provided the possibility of determining the sex of a fetus， which has directly contributed to Chinas gender imbalance，” Gao said.

In 2008， the sex ratio at birth hit a record 120.56 baby boys for every 100 girls， according to official figures.

On January 21， the National Health and Family Planning Commission （NHFPC） described Chinas gender imbalance among newborns as “the most serious and prolonged” in the world， pledging to step up supervision on fetal sex determination.

It is illegal in China for medical institutions or individuals to determine the sex of a fetus unless it is medically necessary.

Despite repeated crackdowns， the practice continues. While many couples visit illegal clinics in China， some others travel abroad to undergo sex-selective procedures so they can have a boy.

Last August， a woman was caught carrying 96 blood samples from pregnant women to Hong Kong for DNA gender screening at Luohu checkpoint in Shenzhen in south Chinas Guangdong Province.

Local media reported that a mature business has developed over the past two to three years in Shenzhen， which helps mothers-tobe across the country learn the gender of their babies at an early stage of their pregnancy， best at seven to eight weeks， by sending blood samples to Hong Kong for DNA tests.

According to a report by Shenzhen Evening News， an agent in Shenzhen said more than 10，000 clients paid for the service in a month， with some were even from distant areas such as Beijing and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The NHFPC highlighted the problem in its January 21 statement， saying that it would crack down on online advertisements for overseas fetal sex determination and ban search engines from linking to websites detailing or advertising such services as well as investigating and punishing the businesses themselves.

The commission also warned medical staff， reiterating a ban on carrying， mailing or transporting blood samples abroad.

Since October 2013， the NHFPC， Ministry of Public Security， together with other government departments， launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal medical practices， during which 6，833 cases of illegal fetus gender tests and abortions were investigated， the NHFPC announced on December 29， 2014.

Last September， four government departments， including the NHFPC， Ministry of Public Security， State Administration for Industry and Commerce and China Food and Drug Administration， jointly released a regulation to crack down on the illegal gender testing of fetuses and subsequent abortions.

According to the regulation， the authorities would establish a joint law enforcement system operating at all levels to combat illegal sexdetermination tests and abortions.

Equipment that could potentially be used for sex-determination tests can be used only for legitimate medical purposes such as checking for genetic diseases， according to the regulation.

A woman whose pregnancy meets the states requirements may have an abortion only if the fetus has a genetic disease or serious defect， or if her life or health would be threatened if she continued.

yuan with Nankai Universitys Institute of Population and Development welcomes the long-awaited regulation， which he said will “provide a clearly defined legal basis for handling and punishing such cases.”

He said all sex-selection abortions should be treated as criminal offenses， as they are in India and South Korea， where baby boys are also favored.

Currently， “the Criminal Law only applies to gender-selective abortions by non-licensed medics，” he said. However some abortions are performed by licensed practitioners， and these are not regarded as criminal offenses under the existing law.

Yuan said this is the first time government departments have joined forces to curb sexselective testing and abortions. “The issue is complicated and cant be addressed by a single department，” he said.

Meanwhile， Lian said China should also step up efforts to raise womens status in society by criminalizing sexual discrimination. She believes special government agencies should be set up to promote male-female equality.