US opposed to coercive birth limitation policies: WH

Describing China's decision to end its decades-old one-child policy and allow all couples to have two children as a "positive step," the White House today said the US is opposed to any coercive birth limiting policy.
"While this recent policy change does represent a positive step, we also look forward to the day when birth limits are abandoned altogether," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
"The US in our work around the world continues to oppose coercive birth limitation policies, including things liked forced abortion and sterilisation," he said.
Earnest said this in response to a question on the recent Chinese decision to end its decades old and strongly-enforced one-child policy, allowing all couples to have two children.

"So, this would fall in the category of policies that are directly related to universal human rights. And the kind of human rights that the president of the US and that this government advocates for around the world, including in our dealings with China," Earnest said.
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said while the decision to allow Chinese couples to have two children is a modest improvement, the policy is still repressive.

"The fact remains that when couples conceive a third child, the Chinese government will force them to eliminate him or her, by any means necessary," he said.
"The US must continue advocating for the complete elimination of government-forced population planning as well as the fundamental rights of all Chinese citizens, including the unborn, to live up to their God-given potential," he said.

For over three decades, China's "barbaric One-Child Policy has condemned approximately 37 million Chinese girls - who the policy deemed as unwanted or 'surplus' - to abortion, infanticide, abandonment and human trafficking."
It has resulted in an unprecedented gender imbalance that will have lasting consequences, Rubio said.