Officials in China Say Modification of One Child Policy Will Result in 3M More Babies Per Year

Officials confirmed this week that China's recent change in its controversial One Child Policy will allow for an additional 3 million babies per year.

Wang Pei'an, who serves as a vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission in China, confirmed this week that the decision of the Chinese ruling party to allow two children to each family will result in an additional three million babies per year.

The new policy will allow 90 million Chinese women to give birth to a second child, Pei'an added to Reuters.

Chinese officials announced earlier this year that it would be amending its controversial One Child Policy in response to an ageing Chinese population, as well as fewer younger people giving birth.

"To promote a balanced growth of population, China will continue to uphold the basic national policy of population control and improve its strategy on population development," the state-run Xinhua news agency said in a statement in October.

"China will fully implement the policy of 'one couple, two children' in a proactive response to the issue of an aging population," the news outlet added.

While China has been praised for amending its harsh One Child Policy, many call on the Asian country to do away with birthing restrictions all together.

"As long as the quotas and system of surveillance remains, women still do not enjoy reproductive rights," Maya Wang, a researcher with the Human Rights Watch, told the AFP.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement following China's announcement that the U.S. "also [looks] forward to the day when birth limits are abandoned altogether."

"The United States in our work around the world continues to oppose coercive birth limitation policies, including things liked forced abortion and sterilization," Earnest added.