1. China's population has begun to decline, which is earlier than expected and has global implications.
2. Many wealthy countries have been trying to boost their birthrates for decades with limited success.
3. Governments can try to reverse the trend by addressing underlying economic issues such as social welfare, employment policy, and providing incentives like cash payments, parental leave policies, and free or subsidized child care.
The article is generally reliable in its reporting of the facts surrounding China’s population decline and the efforts of other countries to address it. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the issue, citing experts from various fields such as sociology and demography. It also provides evidence for its claims in the form of statistics and data points from various sources such as official reports from China and Australia.
However, there are some potential biases in the article that should be noted. For example, while it does mention initiatives such as cash payments for having babies or generous parental leave policies, it does not explore any potential drawbacks or risks associated with these measures. Additionally, while it mentions France, Germany and Nordic countries as having had “notable success” in arresting population decline through government-funded child care or generous parental leave policies, it does not provide any evidence to support this claim or explore any counterarguments that may exist. Furthermore, while the article does mention immigration as an option for countries with negative net migration such as China, it does not provide any details on how this could be achieved or what potential risks may be associated with increased immigration into a country.
In conclusion, while the article is generally reliable in its reporting of facts related to China’s population decline and other countries’ efforts to address it, there are some potential biases that should be noted when considering its trustworthiness and reliability.