China has 1.3 billion people, more than any other country in the world. To keep the number of people from growing too fast, the Chinese government limits couples in cities to one child and those in the countryside to two.
But this one-child policy is becoming a problem because more boys are being born than girls. In 2005, 118 boys were born for every 100 girls in China.
Traditionally, Chinese couples hoped to have a son who would be able to take care of them in their old age.
PHOTO: AP
The Chinese government said that if too many young men can't find wives, they may become troublemakers or even try to buy a wife.
But the government says the policy is still working and doesn't need to be changed. They point out that parents can spend more money on one child, giving them better education and more attention. (Jason Cox, Staff writer with AP)
中國有十三億人口，居全球之冠。為了讓人口別成長太快，中國政府限制城市夫妻只能生一胎，鄉村地區的夫妻則最多生兩胎。
不過，由於出生的男孩數比女孩數少，一胎化政策成為問題。二○○五年中國出生的男女比例為118比100。
傳統上，中國夫妻都希望能養兒防老。
中國政府表示，假如太多年輕男子找不到老婆，他們可能會變成麻煩製造者，甚至去花錢買妻。
但中國也說，一胎化政策仍照常執行，無須變革。他們指出，父母可以花更多錢在一個小孩身上，讓小孩受到更好的教育與照顧。 （翻譯：賴美君）
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