Second thoughts

Shanghai's announcement on Wednesday to encourage couples, who themselves are without siblings, to have a second child has aroused much public interest across the country.

In fact, Shanghai is not the first city to do this. Other cities, such as Guangzhou and Beijing, have sent out similar messages in the last few years.

The main argument in support of Shanghai's move is that this is necessary to tackle the problems of an increasingly aging population and an expected shortage of workforce during 2050-70.