Evolution of family planning policy after liberation:
1962-1969: pilot stage of promoting family planning
1970-1980: the stage of advocating "late, rare and less" Fertility Policy
Since 1980: the proposal, improvement and stability stage of the current fertility policy
In September 1982, the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China determined that "implementing family planning is a basic national policy of our country."
In September 1980, the State Council pointed out at the third session of the Fifth National People's Congress: "except in sparsely populated ethnic minority areas, it is necessary to generally advocate that a couple have only one child, so as to control the population growth rate as soon as possible". At the same time, the CPC Central Committee issued the "open letter to all Communist Party members and members of the Communist Youth League on controlling China's population growth", calling on Party members and League members to take the lead in implementing the new family planning policy. In 1980, there was a landmark event in the history of family planning development. The CPC Central Committee issued the "open letter to all Communist Party members and members of the Communist Youth League on controlling China's population growth", solemnly issuing the call to the whole country that "a couple has only one child".
The following year, the "government work report" of the fourth session of the Fifth National People's Congress put forward: "limiting the number of people and improving the quality of the population is our population policy." In September 1982, the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China determined that "implementing family planning is a basic national policy of our country." The constitution of the people's Republic of China adopted by the National People's Congress in December of the same year clearly stipulates that "the state promotes family planning to adapt population growth to economic and social development plans." Since then, the state has officially established the legal status of family planning.