Why Gov't May Be Shifting Stance on Family Planning

What message did the central government send out regarding the family-planning policy in the annual work report that was delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on March 5?

Let's first examine what the report says and how it differed from previous statements on the topic.

The work report says the government will "promote the reform of family-planning service management." Last year, it said it would "unswervingly stick to family planning as a fundamental national policy and enforce the policy of couples in which either parent is a single child can have two children." The statements in all previous reports were familiar. Even in cases where it did not mention "sticking to family planning as a fundamental national policy," the government still made a point stressing the importance of enforcing the policy.