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China allows families to have three children — agency

They reported that the decision was made by the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, but it is unclear when it would be run

© AP Photo/Andy Wong

BEIJING, May 31. /TASS/. Chinese authorities have decided to grant couples across the country the right to have up to three children now, Xinhua reported on Monday.

According to the agency, the decision was made at a meeting of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. It is not clear when the measure will take effect.

China has been pursuing a policy to restrict birth rates since the mid-1970s, as families were allowed to have only one child with very few exceptions. If this rule was breached, parents faced big fines as well as other measures.

China relaxed this policy several years ago, clearing families where both parents are the only children as well as those living in rural locations if their first child is a girl to have two kids. In 2013, the policy was eased further. All Chinese families were allowed to have two children on January 1, 2016.

The latest reports note that China’s population stands at 1.41 billion people.

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