China grapples with abortion of females

BEIJING, July 12 (UPI) -- China's one-child policy and a growing number of selective abortions to reduce female births has created political divisiveness, the Financial Times reports. Despite intense lobbying efforts by the National Population and Family Planning Commission, the National People's Congress late last month voted down a proposed measure to make selective abortions a crime with a maximum jail sentence of three years, the newspaper said. Legislators expressed doubts it could be enforced adequately, but Yu Xuejun, in charge of law and policy issues at the commission said existing laws weren't strong enough. The government can now only impose fines or rescind doctors' licenses for such abortions. "I believe this is a kind of crime," said Yu.

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