Embrace the Past and Forge Ahead: The China Report on the 30th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)

• Published in: China population and development studies 2024-11, Vol.8 (3), p.239-286
• Main Authors: Zou, Yanhui, Wang, Hui, Chen, Wei, Shen, Ke, Huang, Kuangshi, Gui, Jiangfeng, Zhang, Gang, Feng, Qiushi, Liu, Hongyan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Demography; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Original Article; Population Economics; Social Sciences; Social/Human Development Studies
• ISSN: 2096-448X; 2523-8965
• DOI: 10.1007/s42379-024-00162-7

Since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994, global initiatives like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have evolved from simple population control to a comprehensive focus on human rights, social justice, and sustainable development, emphasizing social equity, gender equality, sustainability, and global cooperation. This paper reviews China’s response to these initiatives, focusing on the ICPD Program of Action and SDGs, and assesses how its demographic transformation over the past 30 years has influenced global population trends and other development areas. We find that China has actively embraced these global principles, integrating them into its national strategy through improved fertility policies, population structure optimization, and addressing population aging. These measures have significantly reshaped China’s demographic landscape and impacted global population dynamics. The paper also highlights China’s substantial progress in health and well-being, life expectancy, gender equality, social equity, and climate action. To address its rapid population aging, China has developed robust social security systems, particularly in pensions and health insurance. China’s experience in urbanization and economic growth has provided valuable insights for global development. Additionally, China's efforts have advanced education, improved women's rights, and supported disadvantaged groups, contributing to the undertaking of global sustainable development. We conclude that China's efforts in implementing international action plans since the ICPD have laid a strong foundation for achieving global SDGs, that China has become a role model for the international community in the domain of population and development, and that China will continuously contribute significantly to global development agendas in the years to come.