On Oct. 29, after being loosened up gradually over time, China’s one-child policy has finally come to an end. Over the years, many debates have rose in multi-dimensions around the policy: advocates believe that it was necessary for population control, economic growth and social improvement in general; opponents object for human rights reasons, the sometimes radical enforcement of the policy; skeptics questions the effectiveness of the policy. By interviewing my peers at NYU Shanghai as representative of the only-child generation in this article I will only attempt to explore the response towards the abolishment. An NYU Shanghai sophomore who wishes to remain anonymous shared some of her thoughts on this. She understands the abolishment of the policy as a necessity to ensure rapid population growth in order to avoid an aging society. However, she is concerned that in the next 10 or 20 years, the only only-child generation might have to face the challenge to care for 4 parents and 2 children. In addition, the societal structure and each individual’s mentality will have to adapt to a multi-children family framework. She feels that there is no direct and quick solution as these adaptations and that China needs time to fumble its way through. She brings up questions such as how can the society help the parents to remain a balance between their career pursuit and children rearing and how can parents prepare their children for the even more fierce education competition. Indeed, although China has continuously progressed in advancing its social welfare system, it has yet to witness a significant improvement. With the absence of a more secured social welfare system and the dawning aging population, the responsibility of caring for the elderly will inevitably fall on the shoulders of the only-child generation. Without siblings to share that responsibility with, the only-child parents might hesitate at the thought of having more than one child; more children require more time and financial investment. Murphy Li, another NYU Shanghai student, offered his opinion that opened up a new perspective to look at the ending of the one-child policy. He said the possibility of having a second child might alleviate the grief faced by the unfortunate families that have lost their only child. Indeed, the potential psychological benefit that accompanies the two-children policy deserves equal attention. Having two children reduces the chance of spoiling either. The children will learn to be more considerate, to cooperate, and more importantly to support each other emotionally. Family, as separate cells that constitute the society, will grow tighter and stronger. The society will also benefit from a better sense of familyhood in terms of stability. In terms of economic practicality, without significant improvement with social welfare system, healthcare or a more equal education, it is unlikely that the only-child generation will react enthusiastically about the two-children policy. Still, the two-children policy could serve as a catalyst for other social reforms. China is on a turning point and this is a good start. This article was written by Mengzhu Chen. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: UBC Library