China's family planning policy combines government guidance with the wishes of the masses. The basic requirements of family planning are late marriages and late childbearing, so as to have fewer but healthier babies, especially one child per couple. But a flexible family planning policy is adopted for rural people and ethnic minorities; in rural areas, couples may have a second baby in exceptional cases, but must wait several years after the birth of the first child. In areas inhabited by minority peoples, each ethnic group may work out different regulations in accordance with that group's wishes, population, natural resources, economy, culture and customs. In general a couple may have a second baby, or a third child in some places. As for ethnic minorities with extremely small populations, a couple may have as many children as they want.

     Profound changes have taken place in the people's viewpoints on marriage, childbearing and the family. Late marriage, late childbearing and fewer but healthier babies are the accepted norms for most people in China. Now the people have a common understanding that there is no difference between a son and a daughter. It has become a custom to set up a small happy, harmonious family, and pursue a scientific and cultured life style. Meanwhile, family planning has helped Chinese women get rid of the burden of frequent childbearing and the heavy family duties after marriage, thus raising women's status and improving the health of both mothers and children.
　

     China is a united multi-ethnic nation of 56 ethnic groups. According to the fourth national census, taken in 1990, the Han people made up 91.96 percent of the country's total population, and the other 55 ethnic groups, 8.04 percent. Because the majority of the population is of the Han ethnic group, the other ethnic groups are customarily referred to as the national minorities.

     The Han people live throughout the country, though mainly on the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Pearl River valleys, and the Northeast China Plain. The national minorities, though fewer in number are also scattered over a vast area, and can be found in approximately 64.3 percent of China’s land area, mainly in the border regions from northeast China to north, northwest and southwest China. Yunnan Province, home to more than 20 ethnic groups, has the greatest diversity of minority peoples in China. In most of China's cities and county towns, two or more ethnic groups live together. Taking shape over China's long history, this circumstance of different ethnic groups "living together in one area while still living in individual compact communities in special areas" continues to provide the practical basis for political, economic and cultural intercourse between the Han and the various minority peoples, and for the functioning of the autonomous national minority areas system.