Some parents in China are finding that they are quietly being allowed to have more than two children, despite laws officially capping the number of children a family can have at two.
Women in some areas who have had more than two children said officials have yet to come after them, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
"I think they are adopting an attitude of ‘one eye open, one eye closed,'" said one 30-year-old mother identified only by her surname, You. She has three children and is pregnant with her fourth.
Leaders in China, including President Xi Jinping, have expressed concern over the country's birthrate, which has declined. The country abolished its one-child policy in 2016, causing a nearly 8% spike in newborns.
It has declined every year since, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
Although the two-child policy is still enforced in many areas, others are turning a blind eye.
One official in charge of family-planning policies in western Beijing said his district will not enforce the two-child policy except for state employees. Those who work in the public sector will still see consequences, he said.
"Otherwise, you can go ahead," the official said.
