Traditional Chinese legal culture has generally been characterized by its deeply entrenched predilection for authoritarian, one-man rule over the more impersonal rule of law. But new materials on law from Chinese archaeological sites have prompted a reass

Abstract

As the July 1990 census revealed, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a nation of 1.13 billion people, spread over seven percent of the world’s arable land. Fearing for China’s economic development in the next century, in 1979 the government instituted the so-called “one-child family” policy, implementation of which includes govern- ment-sponsored use of contraceptives, abortion, sterilization, and economic incentives to avoid over-quota births. According to Chinese officialdom, this policy is absolutely necessary if future generations are to enjoy a decent living standard in an economically prosperous country.