With its over 1.3 billion people, almost one fifth of humanity, China has had to take stringent measures to deal with its population explosion. For the past three decades, China's one-child policy has effectively prevented four hundred million births, a number greater than the entire U.S. population. In many ways, the policy seems to have worked: With fewer mouths to feed, poverty has fallen, living standards have improved dramatically, and China has become an economic power to be reckoned with. However, as a result of the one-child policy, China faces new problems: a looming demographic disaster as the population ages, social and psychological problems of the only-child generation, and criticism from overseas concerning human rights violations. After 30 years' of implementation, the government-established deadline for the policy is just around the corner, and a fierce debate rages over whether to keep the policy in place, or to abolish it.

In the run up to the (PIC) country's national day the Chinese government recently released a report, entitled "Progress in China's Human Rights in 2009". However the report emphasized improved living standards, the success of the government's economic stimulus package and other economic indicators while giving much less prominence to social, political and civil rights. The report illustrates the very different view of what human rights consist of taken by the Chinese government compared to many western governments. But what about the ordinary person. What do they consider the most important human rights? Well we went out on the streets of Beijng to find out.

In late April the US State Department announced the US-China Human Rights Dialogue will take place in May in Washington DC. The US delegation will be led by Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Michael Posner while the Chinese delegation will be headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for International Organizations Chen Xu.

Main Stories in today's BON News:

Kim Hints At Talks
RMB Policy Remains Firm
Naval Officers Meet At Sea
Shanghai Expo Ferryboats
Poll Position: Kidnap To Save A Life
Net Check: Anti-Japan Feeling?
Feature: Ming Tombs Flying