China officially ends one-child policy

China on Sunday officially ended its three decades old one-child policy, allowing couples to have a second child amid a deepening demographic crisis

China on Sunday officially ended its three decade old one child policy, allowing couples to have a second child amid deepening demographic crisis of shrinking workforce and aging population in the world's second largest economy.

Chinese lawmakers passed a historic decision allowing all couples to have two children from January 1, ending its over three and half decades old policy that prevented over 400 million births in the country.

"The state advocates that one couple shall be allowed to have two children," the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the newly revised Law on Population and Family Planning.