China's Population to Increase by 10 Million Per YearChina's total population will increase by more than 10 million each year in the next ten years, reaching a peak of 1.6 billion by the middle of the 21st century, officials with the State Family Planning Commission said in Beijing.It won't be easy for China to maintain the slow growth rate of its vast population, which now stands at 12.5 billion, because it hit the current growth level in just 30 years, far less than the 100 years such growth would require in developed countries, the officials said. Therefore, the birth control policy must continue to be enforced to prevent the instability that could emerge because of a massive population. Poor economic conditions in many areas of the country are another major obstacle facing the success of the birth control policy, he said. Experts believe China's population will gradually shrink after the mid-21st century. |
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