A National People's Congress deputy has appealed for changes to the one-child policy, which has been blamed for a widening gender imbalance and a string of social problems.

Outspoken Renmin University president Ji Baocheng said yesterday it was time to overhaul the family-planning policy, which challenged development and national security.

"The alarming gender ratio among newborns will lead to the eruption of social conflicts," he said. Beijing has come under mounting pressure to relax the policy with the newborn gender ratio reaching 120.2 boys to 100 girls last year, and exceeded 130 boys to 100 girls in three provinces, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Although the policy has helped reduce population growth, it has also caused problems for a rapidly ageing society. "By the middle of the century, more than half of the parents on the mainland will have only one child," Professor Ji said.

He also said the army was having difficulties in recruiting soldiers. The gender imbalance and population reduction were also blamed for an increase in the rural poor.

"We should encourage people to have only one child, but allow them to have a second one," Professor Ji said, adding that the government should start working on an alternative plan.

A top family planning official denied reports that the mainland was considering scrapping the policy. National Population and Family Planning Commission director Zhang Weiqing said: "Family-planning policy must be upheld and will remain unchanged."

The policy, introduced in the 1970s, does not apply to about 40 per cent of couples, who are allowed to have two or more children.

Source: South China Morning Post, 07 March 2008