Economist examines economic, social effects of China's 'one-child policy'

In the current print edition, the Economist includes two articles examining different aspects of China's so-called "one-child policy." The first article looks at the effects of the country's shrinking working-age population, which the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently announced "shrank last year by a total of 3.45 million," the magazine notes, adding, "The new statistics will amplify calls for reform of China's one-child policy" (1/26). The second article examines child trafficking, writing, "China's one-child policy has fueled demand for children ..., thousands of whom are snatched and sold every year to desperate, usually boy-less, couples." The Economist notes authorities, activists and parents are using social media "to share information about cases and draw public attention to child abduction" (1/26).