China wants to start paying families to have more than one child

The Chinese government is currently considering giving families financial incentives to have a second child in a bid to reach higher birth rate targets. 

This marks a dramatic turn around from more than four decades of the country's one-child policy when there were harsh penalties for having more than one, including fines and forced abortions.

Wang Peian, the vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), said the commission is considering "birth rewards and subsidies" for second children. Wang made the announcement on Saturday during a meeting of the China Social Welfare Academy, a Chinese NGO that works closely with the government.

According to China Daily, the announcement was in part prompted by a survey the NHFPC carried out in 2015, showing that 60% of families polled were reluctant to have a second child because of financial constraints.