Chinese women are increasingly voicing their frustrations on state-controlled social media regarding intrusive phone calls from local Communist Party officials. These calls often come from grassroots workers who pressure women into having more children, demanding personal details related to their reproductive health, including the timing of their menstrual cycles. This behavior has been reported across various outlets, indicating a campaign that aims to boost the country’s declining birth rate. The latest push appears to be an extension of a broader “birth support policy” announced by Beijing, which seeks to incentivize childbirth in order to combat the record low birth rates that have been a source of growing concern for the Chinese government.
The decline in birth rates in China is alarming, with the Communist Party’s National Bureau of Statistics revealing that the country lost about 2.08 million citizens in 2023—a year characterized by a 5.7 percent drop in births. The adverse demographic shifts are attributed to long-standing party policies like the “one child policy,” which enforced strict limits on childbirth for over three decades and created substantial gender imbalances, leaving approximately 35 million more men than women in the country. In conjunction with these policies, social issues such as poor job prospects for young adults, disillusionment with communist ideologies, and the burden of caring for aging parents have contributed to many Millennials opting for a lifestyle known as “lying flat,” characterized by a withdrawal from traditional ambitions.
The economic ramifications of this demographic trend are profound. As fewer young people are being born, shortages in child-centric professions, such as teaching and pediatric care, are becoming increasingly evident. The fallout has led to reports of kindergartens repurposing their facilities into nursing homes due to dwindling demand for childcare services. The workplace landscape is shifting as families choose to forego having children, creating challenges for a future economy that relies on a robust population base for growth and stability.
Reports surfaced of coordinated efforts to pressure women of childbearing age into having children. The South China Morning Post described how “tens of thousands” of women are subject to an organized “harassment” campaign by government officials. One woman recounted an unsettling experience during which a government worker probed her about her pregnancy status and offered to schedule follow-up calls based on her ovulation cycle. The irony is palpable, as these officials are the same individuals who enforced stringent birth control measures during the one-child policy era, contributing to a societal atmosphere deeply conflicted over family planning and reproductive rights.
Recent social media activity suggests that many women are pushing back against this unwanted scrutiny. Posts detailing intrusive calls went viral on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Weibo, leading to a public discourse about the appropriateness of such government involvement in personal decisions. Some users began questioning the program’s legitimacy and expressed discomfort with the pressure being placed on women, reflecting a growing call for autonomy over one’s reproductive choices. While the government previously maintained a tight grip on narratives surrounding marriage and childbirth, the emergence of dissent within these platforms indicates a shift in public sentiment.
In response to the growing crisis, the Chinese government unveiled new “birth policy support measures” to promote the necessity of marriage and childbirth. However, these measures notably did not include harassment phone calls as part of their strategy. Instead, they emphasize a more integrated approach to address the perceived collapse of the birth rate, including expanding maternity leave, improving access to health care, and enhancing educational frameworks around family and population issues. By introducing campaigns aimed at fostering a culture that values childbearing and family, the government hopes to create a societal environment more conducive to raising children, although the effectiveness of such measures remains to be seen amidst the backdrop of public resistance and evolving social norms.