The prospect of an ever-growing population, with an ever-shrinking capacity to feed itself, prompted a limited birth control programme in the 1950s, but this was abandoned during 1966-1976s.

The one-child policy was railroaded into effect in 1979 without a careful analysis of its logic or feasibility. The original goal was to keep China's population to one billion by the year 2000 and then massaged down to an ideal of 700 million by 2050.

The cost and difficulty of enforcing the policy has been massive, and its implementation an unprecedented intrusion by the state into the reproductive rights of its citizens. The policy was originally harshly implemented but rural revolt led to a softer stance; nonetheless, it has gener- ated much bad feeling between local officials and the rural population.

Rural families are now allowed to have two children, but some have upwards of three or four kids, who are unreported and consequently receive no education. Families who do abide by the one-child policy will often go to great lengths to make sure their child is male. In parts of China, this is creating a serious imbalance of the sexes.

Psychologists also argue that the experiment has created a generation of spoiled children ill-prepared to deal with adult life. Growing up as the centre of attention and treated as 'little emperors' (xiao huangdi) has made the sharp edges of the outside world that much sharper.

Supporters of the policy argue that without it China would be dealing with runaway population growth. Others note that alternative, less coercive strategies, such as a national family planning programme and improved health care could have afforded better results.

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