China's family planning policy is not contradictory to the development of human rights, an official said in Beijing on Tuesday.

"Without the family planning policy, China would not be able to provide sufficient social welfare for every single child that was born," Hao Linna, director of the International Cooperation Department under the National Population and Family Planning Commission, told a workshop on human rights development in China over the past three decades.

"The right to existence, development and education of the next generation would be hampered without the policy," she said.

China's family planning policy has been in effect for more than three decades. The policy limits most couples to one child in urban areas and two in rural areas, and it has prevented an estimated 400 million births.

China's per capita GDP reached US$2,400 in 2007, Hao said.

"Without the policy, we estimate the figure would only be US$1,800."

If not for population control, the country's resources and environment would face even heavier pressure, as its per capita arable land, grain, forest, water and energy would be 20 percent less, she added.

According to Hao, about 83 percent of China's married population have used contraceptive measures at least once of their own accord.

Tuesday's workshop, organized by China Society for Human Right Studies, was held ahead of the 60th anniversary of the UN's publication of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which falls on December 10.

(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2008)