An amendment to the Criminal Law aiming at preventing baby
gender selection was submitted to China's top legislature, the
National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, for
deliberation Saturday.
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Earlier, China's population and family planning authorities stated
that baby gender selection has brought serious unbalanced gender
ratio in some parts of China.
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"The artificial gender selection can jeopardize China's population
structure and greatly incur social instability," said An Jian,
deputy director of the Commission of Legislative Affairs of the NPC
Standing Committee.
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As a quite number of Chinese families, particularly the rural
residents, prefer boys to girls, underground trade for ultrasonic
check prevails between some parents and local hospitals. These
parents will ask for abortion if fetus is found not male.
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China's boy-girl ratio at birth is about 1.19 to 1, much higher
than the world standard of 1.06 to 1.
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The amendment specifies anyone who helps others or provides tools
for baby selection purpose will be sentenced three years in jail
and a fine.
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China has intensified its crackdown on such gender selections as 29
provincial congresses have enacted regulations ruling that all baby
gender selections of nonmedical necessity should be strictly
prohibited.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2005)