BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- With improved hospital maternity services, toddler care centers, "mom posts," and birth subsidies, China is building a more childbirth-friendly society.

These measures are part of China's efforts to boost birth rates, which are in response to the pressing demographic challenges posed by a declining and rapidly aging population.

The National Health Commission (NHC) and other government departments recently issued guidelines for building birth-friendly hospitals across the country. These hospitals will integrate perinatal depression screening into routine prenatal and postnatal care and offer 24-hour labor pain relief services.

"The services offered by birth-friendly hospitals, especially 24-hour labor pain relief, will surely reduce my fear of childbirth," said a 32-year-old woman surnamed Bu.

While some Chinese women, like Bu, are reluctant to have children due to concerns about the pain of childbirth, others worry about the time constraints of balancing childcare with career development.

Although kindergarten enrollment in China has become less challenging in recent years, there is a growing demand for modern, socialized childcare services for children under three. This trend is driven by shrinking family sizes due to the country's rapid socioeconomic development, which has weakened intergenerational caregiving capabilities.

China has been promoting the establishment of care centers for children under three. Nearly 100,000 centers offer 4.8 million slots, but they still fall short of meeting demand.

Childcare has emerged as one of the key issues for discussion at the annual local legislative and political consultative sessions that begin this month. During the sessions, local governments in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, which face high childcare demand, have pledged to expand their capacity for childcare services for children under three.

For young parents looking for flexible work to support their households, birth-friendly positions offer an ideal solution.

Earlier this month, a special section offering "birth-friendly posts" at a job fair in Shanghai drew considerable attention. These jobs, including video producers and social media managers, do not require a fixed workplace, offering the flexibility needed to care for their children.

Similarly, a food manufacturer in Sishui County in east China's Shandong Province has introduced "mom posts," where nearly 700 women of childbearing age are employed.

Apart from concerns about childcare and career, financial pressure is another significant barrier for couples wishing to have children. To address such concerns, local governments have provided subsidies to boost births.

Since September 2024, the city of Tianmen, central China's Hubei Province, has been offering birth subsidies and incentives to couples having children, with up to 225,100 yuan (about 30,700 U.S. dollars) provided to each couple having a third child.

This week, the city, with a population of one million, garnered widespread attention with a 17 percent year-on-year increase in newborns in 2024, a figure significantly higher than that of most other Chinese cities.

According to the NHC, over two-thirds of China's provincial-level regions are exploring birth subsidy system.

Buoyed by a slew of birth-friendly policies and a baby boom in the post-COVID Year of the Dragon, China reported rises in newborns and birth rate in 2024 after seven consecutive years of decline. Meanwhile, China's economy logged a steady growth of 5 percent.

However, experts emphasize that priority should be placed on long-term balanced development.

Wang Qinchi, a researcher at the China Population and Development Research Center, told Xinhua that by improving population services and adjusting industrial structures, China could further balance demographic and economic development and foster urban-rural and regional coordination.

Yuan Xin, vice president of the China Population Association and a professor at Nankai University, called for a comprehensive package of measures to build a society more conducive to child-rearing and stressed the importance of their practical implementation to achieve the desired outcomes.

"Businesses must ensure that employees can enjoy maternity leaves," he said. "There should be no compromise on birth subsidies and free pregnancy tests." Enditem

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