Family planning policy to remain

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There will be no change to the country's family planning policy, a public sector reform official said one day after a key government restructuring plan was unveiled.

"The pressure facing residents and resources still persists in our country with such a huge population," said Wang Feng, deputy head of the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform.

The country will keep its basic state policy on family planning after the creation of a new commission through the merging of the health ministry with the National Population and Family Planning Commission, Wang told a news conference on Monday in Beijing.

Following the restructuring, work in the field of family planning will be beefed up, not weakened, as implementation of the policy continues to be a chief responsibility of Party and government heads, he said.

The proposed national health and family planning commission will strengthen implementation of the family planning policy regarding institutions, personnel and functions, he added.

Without the policy, launched more than 30 years ago, the Chinese population could be 400 million higher than the current level.

In his last Government Work Report at the opening of the annual legislative session on Tuesday, Premier Wen Jiabao said that in response to changes in the size and structure of China's population, the country should solve problems related to the size, health, structure and geographical distribution of its people and promote long-term, balanced population development.

Sunday's restructuring plan axes the National Population and Family Planning Commission and shifts its population policy-making functions to the influential National Development and Reform Commission.

There has been speculation that reforming the family planning commission will bring about a relaxation of the policy.

But officials and experts were quick to dampen such expectations.

Questions:

1. What commission with the health ministry merge with?

2. When did the family policy first launch?

3. Where will population policy-making functions be shifted to?

Answers:

1. The National Population and Family Planning Commission

2. 30 years ago.

3. The National Development and Reform Commission.

（中国日报网英语点津 Julie 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Emily Cheng is an editor at China Daily. She was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in Media, English Literature and Politics. She has worked in the media industry since starting university and this is the third time she has settled abroad - she interned with a magazine in Hong Kong 2007 and studied at the University of Leeds in 2009.