The Changing Population of China

by Peng, Xizhe; Guo, Zhigang

• ISBN13: 9780631201922
• ISBN10: 0631201920
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-10-03
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

In this book, top Chinese demographers introduce the reader to Chinese population policy, assess its effects and project future consequences.In the last three decades, the Chinese have conducted the greatest demographic experiment in human history. They have sought to curb the growth of their vast population through the implementation of rigid population policy and programmes. Whilst helping to keep the population from spiralling out of control, the policy has also had unwanted consequences including an imbalance of males to females and the weakening of family kinship and old-age support networks.This book provides a background to the policy by introducing Chinese history, society, and geographical population distribution. The contributors then examine the relation between policy, culture, and population in the past and present, and project current trends into the future. The book discusses a wide range of socio-economic impacts on China's demographic dynamics, such as employment, social welfare and urbanization. The book's conclusion extrapolates these trends into longer-term population projections.

Author Biography

Dr. Peng Xizhe received his Ph.D. in Population Studies from the University of London in 1988 and is Professor and Director of the Institute of Population Research, Fudan University, Shanghai. He is the Author of Demographic Transition in China: Fertility Trends since the 1950s (1991) and numerous journal articles.

Dr. Guo Zhigang is Professor and Director of the Institute of Population Research, Remin University of China, Beijing. He has edited, co-authored and translated a number of books on demography. He received his Ph.D. in Demography from Renmin University of China in 1990.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	ix
List of Tables	xi
List of Contributors	xv
Introduction	1	(10)
Peng Xizhe
The Distribution of China's Population and its Changes	11	(11)
Wang Guixin
The Basic Characteristics of China's Population Distribution	11	(7)
The Main Factors Influencing Population Distribution and its Changes	18	(1)
An Evaluation of China's Population Distribution and its Changes	19	(1)
Prospects for Change in China's Population Distribution	19	(3)
Trends and Regional Differentials in Fertility Transition	22	(12)
Tu Ping
Fertility Trends	22	(4)
Fertility Patterns and Regional Differentials	26	(3)
Concluding Remarks	29	(5)
Trends and Geographic Differentials in Mortality	34	(17)
Hao Hongsheng
Mortality Trends	34	(4)
Geographic Differentials in Mortality	38	(9)
Summary	47	(4)
Population Policy and the Family-Planning Programme	51	(13)
Xie Zhenming
Population Policy	51	(4)
The Family-Planning Programme	55	(6)
A New Approach in Family Planning	61	(3)
Age and Sex Structures	64	(13)
Li Yongping
Peng Xizhe
Age Structure	64	(4)
Sex Structure and Sex Ratio at Birth	68	(4)
Causes of Abnormal Sex Ratio at Birth	72	(2)
Summary	74	(3)
Population Ageing and Old Age Security	77	(14)
Du Peng
Tu Ping
The Trend of Population Ageing in China	77	(3)
The Decline of Fertility and Mortality and their Effects on Population Ageing in China	80	(1)
Regional and Rural-Urban Differences in Population Ageing	80	(3)
Ethnic Differences on Ageing	83	(2)
The Change in the Family Life of Elderly People in China	85	(1)
Social Support and Family Support of the Elderly	86	(2)
Conclusion	88	(3)
Marriage Patterns in Contemporary China	91	(10)
Zeng Yi
Continued Universality of Marriage	92	(1)
Changing Age At First Marriage	93	(4)
Concentration of First Marriage in a Narrow Age Interval	97	(1)
Summary	98	(3)
Family Patterns	101	(14)
Guo Zhigang
Definitions and Sources of Data	102	(1)
Shrinking Family Household Size	102	(2)
Household Formation Level on the Basis of Headship	104	(2)
Living Arrangements and Family Pattern	106	(3)
Children Alive as Determinants of the Living Arrangements of the Elderly	109	(2)
Inter-Generational Wealth Exchange during Old Age	111	(1)
Summary and Discussion	112	(3)
Education in China	115	(19)
Peng Xizhe
General Situation	115	(1)
The Education Structure of China	116	(4)
The Management Structure of China's Education System	120	(3)
The Development of China's Higher Education	123	(3)
Education Finance	126	(2)
Diversities in Educational Achievement	128	(6)
China's Rural and Urban Employment in the Reform Era: Recent Trends and Policy Issues	134	(16)
Zuo Xuejin
General Trends since 1978	135	(2)
Rural Employment	137	(6)
Urban Employment	143	(2)
Major Causes of Urban Unemployment	145	(2)
Concluding Remarks	147	(3)
China's Female Population	150	(17)
Tan Lin
Peng Xizhe
Introduction	150	(1)
Women's Political Participation Situation since 1980	151	(2)
Female Education	153	(4)
Female Employment	157	(6)
Discussion and Conclusion	163	(4)
Urbanization	167	(12)
Zhong Fenggan
Process Review, Critiques of Data and Policy Transition	167	(6)
Regional Variations	173	(3)
Conclusion	176	(3)
The Floating Population and Internal Migration in China	179	(13)
Sun Changmin
Definition and Classification of Floating Population	179	(2)
The Characteristics of Internal Migration and the Floating Population	181	(4)
The Impact of Socio-economic Development on Population Migration and Mobility	185	(7)
International Migration Patterns	192	(15)
Ye Wenzhen
Beginning Stage: Who was the First International Emigrant?	192	(1)
Spontaneous Stage: A More Business-Related Migration Behaviour	193	(1)
Push and Pull Stage: A Massive Labourer Migration	193	(4)
New Stage: A More Policy-Related International Movement	197	(5)
Summary	202	(5)
The Ethnic Minority Population in China	207	(9)
Du Peng
Minority Populations in the midst of Socio-economic Development	207	(4)
The Basic Characteristics of the Minority Population	211	(1)
Issues relating to Minority Population Growth	212	(2)
Problems of Population, Resources and Development of the Ethnic Minorities	214	(2)
Health and Health Care in Transition	216	(18)
Tang Shenglan
Wu Zhuochun
Health Care Prior to Economic Reform	216	(1)
Health Sector Reform - an Overview	217	(4)
The Financing and Provision of Health Services	221	(4)
Health in Transition - Progress and Problems	225	(4)
Making Health Development Sustainable - Challenges and Opportunities	229	(5)
China's Environment and Environment Protection	234	(12)
Dai Xingyi
Peng Xizhe
Heavy Historical Ecological Debt	234	(1)
Population, Land and Ecological Deterioration	235	(3)
Environmental Pollution and the Water Crisis	238	(2)
The Main Causes of Environmental Deterioration	240	(2)
Efforts at Environment Protection	242	(4)
The Population of China: Prospects and Challenges	246	(11)
Zhai Zhenwu
Assessment and Assumptions of Future Mortality and Fertility in China	247	(1)
Future Growth of Population and Changes in Age Structure in China	248	(4)
Challenges in the Field of Population	252	(5)
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: Waves of Chinese Immigrants and their Children	257	(29)
Lui Ping-keung
Introduction	257	(1)
1931--1950: The First Surge of Chinese Immigrants	258	(3)
1951--1961: Sustained Immigration from China, and the First Census after World War II	261	(2)
1962: The Second Surge of Chinese Immigrants	263	(1)
1963--1969: Reduced Immigration from China	264	(2)
1970--1979: Inflow of Vietnamese Refugees, and Fertility Decline	266	(4)
1980: The Third Surge of Chinese Immigrants	270	(2)
1981--1988: Maturing Demographically	272	(3)
1989--1996: A Wave of Emigration	275	(2)
Conclusion: Future Prospects	277	(9)
Index	286