China says replacement of one-child policy will lead to 0.5 per cent economic growth

BEIJING: China’s adoption of a two-child policy is expected to boost the country's economic growth rate by about 0.5 of a percentage point, stemming from a rise in the size of its work force, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday.

Wang Pei'an, vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, did not specify a time period for that growth target. Last week, President Xi Jinping said it is possible for the country to have annual economic growth of around 7 percent over the next five years.

"In the long-term, the positive effect on economic growth will be significant," Wang told a news briefing.