SHANGHAI, April 13 (UPI) -- China's absolute "one child policy" ends on Thursday in Shanghai, leaving the door open for many, but not all, couples to have a second child.
The People's Congress of Shanghai, one of China's most populous cities, has passed a local law allowing some families under certain circumstances to have a second child, China Daily reported Tuesday. The new rules are an amendment to the local population control policy that still insists on the "one child" rule for the general public.
The new rule allows couples who have no siblings to have a second child. It also allows those who remarry to have a child with their new partner even if both have children from previous marriages. Disabled parents will also be allowed to have a second child.
Shanghai, with a population of 17 million by the end of 2003, faces the challenge of an aging population. Shanghai officials say the policy readjustment is intended to alleviate the burden on single children providing for aging parents.
