One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment

Event

When Communist Party leaders adopted the one-child policy in 1980, they hoped curbing birth-rates would help lift China’s poorest and increase the country’s global stature. But at what cost? Now, as China moves to a nationwide two-child policy, it faces a population grown too old and too male, with a vastly diminished supply of young workers.

In a conversation with CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto, New America Fellow Mei Fong talks about her book, One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment, which explores the human impact of the one-child policy, and what implications China's longest-running social experiment will have on its future: whether its “Little Emperor” cohort will make for an entitled or risk-averse generation; how China will manage to support itself when one in every four people is over sixty-five years old; and above all, how much the one-child policy may end up hindering China’s growth.

Follow the conversation online using #RadicalExperiment and following @NewAmerica. 

Copies of the book will be available for sale at the event. 

Participants:

Mei Fong
Fellow, New America

Jim Scuitto
Chief National Security Correspondent, CNN