China Looks to Spur Births, Aid Families in Fight on Shrinking Population

 Tourists visit Jiayu Pass, a strategic point of the Great Wall of China along the ancient "Silk Road," near the city of Jiayuguan in China's northwestern Gansu province on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (AP)
Tourists visit Jiayu Pass, a strategic point of the Great Wall of China along the ancient "Silk Road," near the city of Jiayuguan in China's northwestern Gansu province on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (AP)
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China Looks to Spur Births, Aid Families in Fight on Shrinking Population

 Tourists visit Jiayu Pass, a strategic point of the Great Wall of China along the ancient "Silk Road," near the city of Jiayuguan in China's northwestern Gansu province on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (AP)
Tourists visit Jiayu Pass, a strategic point of the Great Wall of China along the ancient "Silk Road," near the city of Jiayuguan in China's northwestern Gansu province on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (AP)

China outlined steps on Monday to improve family planning and parenting measures in an effort to boost the number of births, a statement from the state council, or cabinet, showed, after two consecutive years of a shrinking population.

The birth rate hit a record low last year in China, which has a population of 1.4 billion, as fellow Asian giant India outpaced it to become the world's most populous nation.

The state council called for efforts to build "a new marriage and childbearing culture" by spreading respect for childbearing, marriages at the right age, and parents' shared responsibility for childcare.

Measures on offer are better maternity insurance, maternity leave, subsidies and medical resources for children, with the cabinet urging local governments to budget for childcare centers and levy preferential taxes and fees for such services.

"Supporting childbirth at this stage is of great significance," said Yang Chang, chief policy analyst at Zhongtai Securities Research Institute, adding that Monday's announcement would serve as a template for future measures.

With the number of women of childbearing age between 15 and 49 likely to decline, and willingness to bear children not expected to rise soon, policy support was key to help reverse the downward trend in births, he added.

Although China abandoned its 35-year-old one-child policy in 2015, it has struggled to get the birth rate up, particularly as the period saw rural people stream into the cities for jobs.

Education is another area targeted, with local authorities asked to step up financial aid for students from disadvantaged families, with a mention of the "gradual expansion of the scope of free education".

Local authorities were also told to assist with the burden of housing and employment, by providing more support for families with multiple children to buy homes, and beef up protection for pregnant women and new mothers among workers.

Setting up non-commercial platforms for young people to make friends, date and get married was another way to encourage births, the cabinet said.

Monday's measures follow a survey this month by health officials seeking to understand the factors governing attitudes towards childbearing and the fear around having offspring.



Labubu-Maker Pop Mart Diversifies into Jewellery with New Concept Store 

A not for sale Labubu figure (L) and Labubu stickers are seen at a Pop Mart shop in Beijing on June 12, 2025. (AFP)
A not for sale Labubu figure (L) and Labubu stickers are seen at a Pop Mart shop in Beijing on June 12, 2025. (AFP)
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Labubu-Maker Pop Mart Diversifies into Jewellery with New Concept Store 

A not for sale Labubu figure (L) and Labubu stickers are seen at a Pop Mart shop in Beijing on June 12, 2025. (AFP)
A not for sale Labubu figure (L) and Labubu stickers are seen at a Pop Mart shop in Beijing on June 12, 2025. (AFP)

"Blind box" toymaker Pop Mart, which has seen frenzied sales worldwide for products related to its ugly-cute Labubu character, opened its first jewellery store in Shanghai on Friday.

The jewellery concept store, called Popop, sells accessories adorned with Pop Mart's top-selling characters, including Labubu, Molly and Skullpanda.

While Chinese consumption remains subdued in the face of a prolonged property downturn and sluggish economy, Pop Mart's affordable and adorable toys have remained in high demand both at home and abroad, driving its share price up more than 200% so far this year.

Investor Zhang Ming, 34, who owns Pop Mart stocks worth 100 million yuan ($13.92 million), flew from his base in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing for the opening to check out the new store type and decide whether to increase his shareholding in the company.

"I believe that the pricing and target audience for this brand are particularly well-suited, and I am confident that Pop Mart could potentially become China's version of Disney," Zhang said, predicting that the company's market cap could double from its current $45.65 billion valuation.

Along with some Disney characters and others related to anime, comics and popular video games, Pop Mart's characters are seen as fulfilling what has been called "emotional consumption", which sees young consumers spend on affordable luxuries that bring joy into their lives.

Fang Ke, 35, who has a birthday coming up this month decided to treat herself to a 699 yuan Labubu bracelet at the opening.

"I've loved Pop Mart for a long time; it's good-looking, brightly colored, and also has a visual impact," she said. "My daughter likes it too."

At Popop, prices start at around 350 yuan for charms or a simple silver ring, and go as high as 2699 yuan for necklaces adorned with metallic models of the characters. Most pieces are priced at under 1,000 yuan.

At a traditional Pop Mart store, the "blind box" toys that the chain is best known for generally sell for 69 yuan and up, but consumers have shown a willingness to shell out much more for limited editions.

Earlier this week, a Beijing auction house sold a human-sized Labubu figure for 1.08 million yuan, setting a new record and marking the toy's switch from craze to collectible.