There’s just one problem: women aren’t too keen on the idea.
For more than 35 years, the ruling Communist Party strictly enforced a one-child policy, as the country tried to address overpopulation and alleviate poverty. But as the economy boomed, China found its population aging and its labor force shrinking.
Still, the public doesn’t appear convinced. The formal passing of the country’s new three-child policy into law on Friday was met with widespread skepticism and criticism on Chinese social media, with many women expressing anxiety over the rising cost of living and entrenched gender inequality in the workplace.
Many argued that raising three children would be prohibitively expensive, and out of reach for most urban couples, many of whom face stagnating wages, fewer job opportunities, and grueling hours at work.
“I don’t even want to have one child, let alone three,” said one comment on Weibo, China’s heavily censored Twitter-like platform, which garnered more than 51,000…
