Editorial: China Has to Address Its Shrinking Population

China will witness a falling population earlier and harder than expected. The country’s National Health Commission has disclosed that population growth has noticeably fallen during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. By next year, China’s population is likely to start shrinking, the United Nation’s World Population Prospects 2022 showed. China, following Japan, will become the second major power in the world with a falling population. This may be unsurprising, but it will be nonetheless a great shock to society.