UN official lauds childbirth policy

Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund Babatunde Osotimehin said he hopes the universal two-child policy announced by China last week will lead to the fulfillment of what he characterized as a basic right for all individuals in China to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children.

He made the comment after the Communist Party of China Central Committee announced on Thursday that the decades-old family planning policy would be changed to allow all couples to have two children. The objective is to balance population development and avoid a potential labor shortage in the future.

"We, at UNFPA, are committed to working with the government of China to advance and strengthen the sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights of all Chinese people, especially those of women and young people," he said.