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Abstract
China's total fertility rate fell below replacement level in the 1990s. From the 1970s the fertility rate declined dramatically, mainly as a consequence of the national population policy whose aim has been to limit birth numbers, control population growth and boost economic growth. Having achieved such a low fertility rate, how will China's population policy evolve in the future? This paper first reviews the history of China's population policy since 1970 in three stages: 1970–1979; 1980–1999; and after 2000. We explore the impacts of China's population policy, including relief of pressure on China's environment and resources, fertility decline, the unexpectedly high male-biased sex ratio at birth (SRB), the coming shortage of labour force, and the rapid aging of the population, and extinction of racial and cultural diversity. We also investigate ethical issues raised by the implementation of the policy and its results. Finally we introduce the controversy over potential adjustment of the policy, acknowledging the problems faced by western countries with low fertility and the counter-measures they have taken. We offer some suggestions that might be appropriate in the Chinese context.

In November 2013, China announced reforms to its family planning policies whereby couples would be allowed to have a second child if either parent is an only child. The announcement garnered worldwide media coverage, and stimulated academic and popular discussion. We explore the context of the 2013 reforms, including the economic, demographic, and political motivations behind them, and speculate on their likely effect. Noting that the impact of the reforms on China's long‐term demographic future is likely to be relatively slight, we consider why more radical reform may have been difficult to implement. We offer observations about possible future directions for Chinese family planning policies and explore the notion of "local pronatalism within nationally prescribed antinatalist limits" and how this suggests that an ideological shift within China's family planning apparatus may be plausible.

Based on existing data and prior research, this paper reviews studies of and investigations into the trafficking of women in China. First, the "industrial chain" of human trafficking is analyzed. Second, the analysis indicates that the "buyers market" exhibits a strong demand for trafficking in women. The scale of trafficking is escalating: originally the crime was mainly committed in a few provinces, but has now spread to nearly every province in China. Furthermore, human trafficking groups are now displaying the characteristics of collectivization and specialization. Although the Chinese government has launched a series of rescue actions, the effort has run into tremendous difficulties due to dilemmas encountered by buyers, local citizens, grass-roots organizations and the trafficked women themselves. To completely eradicate trafficking in women, the Chinese government has to make long-term efforts to crack down on the buyers market and to redress the sex imbalance. ; This work is supported by the key project of National Social Science Foundation of China (09XSH005, 08&ZD048), and the 985-3 project of Xi'an Jiaotong University. ; Publicado

Child trafficking is a serious problem in China. However, there has not been much research in this area. This article introduces the problem of child trafficking in China based on available data. First, the article examines the reasons for child trafficking followed by a summary description of the characteristics of the children who have been victims of trafficking. Next, the article analyzes the process of child trafficking and discusses the fate of the children involved. The article additionally provides a description of the various measures adopted by the Chinese government and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to combat child trafficking and mentions the resistance to these measures. This article will hopefully draw the attention of the government, academia and the public to this issue.

China's bare branches, the Chinese name for surplus men, have attracted much attention, yet few studies have focused on the increasing phenomenon of bare‐branch villages. In this literature review, the formation of bare‐branch villages, the impact of such villages on individual bare branches and their families, and potential threats to villages and families are analyzed. It was found that the sex ratio and female marriage migration to prosperous areas are the two main determinants of the formation of bare‐branch villages. Individual bare branches in such villages are affected both physically and psychologically and are isolated in social activities. Their families and villages suffer in many ways. Bare branches may accelerate the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and increase the incidence of criminal behavior and violence. Even worse, because bare branches in a village share many bonds, they may take collective actions that can endanger China's social stability.

Child trafficking is a serious problem in China. However, there has not been much research in this area. This article introduces the problem of child trafficking in China based on available data. First, the article examines the reasons for child trafficking followed by a summary description of the characteristics of the children who have been victims of trafficking. Next, the article analyzes the process of child trafficking and discusses the fate of the children involved. The article additionally provides a description of the various measures adopted by the Chinese government and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to combat child trafficking and mentions the resistance to these measures. This article will hopefully draw the attention of the government, academia and the public to this issue. ; This work was jointly supported by the 985-3 Project of Xi'an Jiaotong University and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CSO2012-31206).

The large number of missing females in China, a consequence of gender discrimination, is having and will continue to have a profound effect on the country's population development. In this paper, we analyze the causes of this gender discrimination in terms of institutions, culture and, economy, and suggest public policies that might help eliminate gender discrimination. Using a population simulation model, we study the effect of public policies on the sex ratio at birth and excess female child mortality, and the effect of gender discrimination on China's population development. We find that gender discrimination will decrease China's population size, number of births, and working age population, accelerate population aging and exacerbate the male marriage squeeze. These results provide theoretical support for suggesting that the government enact and implement public policies aimed at eliminating gender discrimination.