Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Business
  • Automotive
  • Economy
  • Energy
  • Finance
  • Tourism
  • Tech
  • Defense
  • Transportation
  • News Analysis

Weibo bans Chinese economist's posts over birth rate comment

by reuters

BEIJING Jan 13, 2022 - 2:33 pm GMT+3
The logo of Chinese social media app Weibo is seen on a mobile phone in this illustration picture, Dec. 7, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
The logo of Chinese social media app Weibo is seen on a mobile phone in this illustration picture, Dec. 7, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
by reuters Jan 13, 2022 2:33 pm

Twitter-like Weibo banned a high-profile Chinese economist's posts on the social media platform after sparking controversy over suggestions that the central bank set up a $314 billion "fertility fund" to encourage people to have more babies.

The Weibo account of Ren Zeping, a former chief economist for debt-laden property giant China Evergrande Group, where he has 3.6 million followers, carries a notice saying that "due to violations of related laws and regulations, the user is currently banned from posting."

It did not elaborate on what particular law or regulation he was deemed to have violated. The birthrate in the world's most populous country has been a concern of authorities for generations.

The ban, imposed on Wednesday, will last two weeks, according to the state-run Securities Times newspaper, citing unidentified sources.

Ren this week published two essays suggesting that the "most pragmatic and most effective" way to increase China's plunging birth rate would be for the central bank to print 2 trillion yuan ($314 billion) for a fertility fund to be distributed as monthly cash payments for every child.

Ren wrote that if the central bank followed his suggestion, China could add 50 million births over the next decade, pushing its birth rate above the replacement rate and preventing a decrease in the overall population.

Ren did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For decades, China imposed a strict "one child" policy to limit population growth.

The birth rate in 2020 dropped to a record-low of 8.52 births per 1,000 people, or below 1%, official statistics showed last November and in May, the government announced that married couples may have up to three children in a bid to boost births.

Ren's essays, originally published on his WeChat account and reposted to Weibo where they drew widespread discussion, were no longer available on either platform on Thursday.

His WeChat account, however, remains active although he did not post anything new after the Weibo ban. The Securities Times also reported that the Weibo ban did not apply to other social media platforms.

No stranger to controversy, Ren began his career as an economist with the research arm of China's State Council, or cabinet. He rose to fame for accurately predicting the peak and crash of China's stock market in 2015.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    china child policy weibo economist china fertility fund
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    An amateur photographer Vincent Cornelissen captures a bean goose flying upside down. (Photo from Instagram @b0unce1971)

    It is showing off: Photographer captures goose flying upside down

    ANIMALS-ARCHIVES
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    2020, the year of COVID-19 pandemic
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021