Chinese authorities have vowed to take tough measures to control
fetus gender testing and sex-selective abortions to hold back
rising sex ratio imbalance.
"People who conduct illegal gender testing of fetuses and
sex-selective abortions should face serious punishment," according
to a statement jointly issued by the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China and the State Council.
The authorities also pledged to improve protection of baby
girls, saying that people who kill, abandon or injure infant girls
or ill-treat their mothers, should be severely punished.
Medical institutions that use ultra-sound technology and
abortion medicines will be more closely supervised, according to
the statement.
China's gender ratio for newborn babies in 2005 was 118 boys for
100 girls, compared with 110:100 in 2000. In some regions, the
figure has reached 130 newborn boys for every 100 girls.
The decision said the gender-ratio imbalance which has been
developing for some time amounts to "a hidden danger" for the
society that will "affect social stability."
In an attempt to halt the growing imbalance, China launched a
"care for girls" campaign nationwide in 2000 to promote equality
between men and women.
The government has also offered cash incentives to girl-only
families in the countryside.
The authorities said such programs will continue to fight
discrimination against girls and to adopt more policies to ensure
the healthy growth of girls.
(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2007)
