One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment

Intriguing portrait of one of the biggest family and nation-controlling experiments out there, the cruel ways it was implemented and a somber look at its many unintended consequences. Fong looks at the effects of the policy from multiple fascinating angles.

Guided by the threat of overpopulation and the drive for economic progress, from 1979 to 2015 China's One Child Policy allowed the majority of its citizens to only have 1 offspring. Paired with China's patriarchy and low standing of women, this has now led to a population with a high gender imbalance. The gender ratio is so tipped towards an abundance of men, that Chinese parents pay doweries to find brides for their sons. Populations with more men than women are also said to be highly aggressive, and have historically often led to wars.

Low birth rates and advanced healthcare lead to a Chinese population where soon 1 out of 3 people will be over 60. In the land where filial piety still rules, the single child of single-child parents now find themselves sole care-taker of 2 ageing parents and 4 grandparents. As the only offspring of a family, children are simultaneoulsy coddled (the “little emperor” phenomenon, producing solipsistic low-risk takers) and also put under enormous pressure (the need to succeed, to support all elderly family members).

Once China realised these trends and tried to reverse course by adapting the policy to allow every family 2 children (nuclear families only!) it was too late. Only a small portion of families are currently opting for second children, due to economic considerations.