China birth rate up after one-child policy abandoned
Society & Culture
Top society and culture news for January 23, 2017. Part of the daily The China Project news roundup "731 million internet users and a VPN clampdown."
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China’s birth rate rises but falls short of government estimates / The Guardian
Data issued by China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission shows that the country’s birth rate increased by 7.9 percent to 17.86 million in 2016, making it the highest in this century. About 45 percent of babies were born to families that already had one child, as a direct result of China’s abolition of its decades-long one-child policy. The number of newborns, however, fell short of the government estimates in part because about 75 percent of families are reluctant to have a second child due to economic concerns. -
Didi responds to users’ outrage over high fares / Global Times
Complaints against Didi, the largest ride-hailing app in China, which bought Uber’s Chinese business last year, have reached a fever pitch over the past few weeks as passengers found it increasingly difficult to get a ride without paying higher fares. On WeChat, the author of a widely shared article titled “A letter to Didi, an internet platform that makes my commute worse” wrote (in Chinese), “Sometimes I have to pay double to get a ride from Didi” and “Sometimes I can’t hail a car even by paying higher fares.” In response, Didi published a statement (in Chinese) today, saying that it will gradually close its flexible pricing algorithm based on the supply-demand balance on its platform in order to protect users.
- Historian’s latest book on Mao turns acclaim in China into censure / NYT (paywall)
- China driving against ‘millionaire’s sport’ with closure of 100 golf courses / The Telegraph
- Chinese wildlife park denies animal abuse after outrage over video of tigers being beaten / SCMP
- Chinese professor in hot water for describing how women students are screened by their appearance / SCMP
- The chunyun trend: Carpooling home for the Chinese new year / What’s on Weibo
