Chinese state media has announced the relaxation of the country’s one-child policy.<br /><br /> In future, couples will be allowed to have two children if just one of the parents was an only child.<br /><br /> Currently, both parents must have been sole children to have a second child.<br /><br /> China’s one-child policy was introduced in 1978 to slow population growth. <br /><br /> In further reforms, “re-education through labour” camps for petty offenders will be abolished. <br /><br /> Police panels can sentence offenders to years in camps without a trial. The camps have been blamed for widespread rights abuses by corrupt officials.<br /><br /> The reforms were announced after a key meeting of the ruling Communist party that ended earlier this week. The gathering also decided to reduce “step by step” the number of crimes subject to the death penalty.<br /><br /> Speculation about possible reform has been mounting since November last year. That is when China’s new leadership under Xi Jinping took charge of the Communist party.<br /><br /> Chinese state media said in January that the labour camp system would be abolished. However there were few details and no timetable.<br /><br /> It was not immediately clear Friday how it would be replaced.<br /><br /> But analysts say the abolition of the system could face resistance as local governments profit from products made by camp prisoners and rely on the punishment to keep social order.
