Chinese city offers handsome cash rewards to boost birth rates

A northern Chinese city has promised cash rewards for families with children in the latest effort to boost birth rates in a country that faces an aging society.

Starting this month, Hohhot, capital of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, will offer a one-time subsidy of 10,000 yuan (about 1,394 U.S. dollars) for couples having their first child, according to a new regulation released on March 13.

Families with a second child will receive 10,000 yuan per year until the child reaches five years old. For the third child or more, the annual subsidy is 10,000 yuan until the child turns 10, with the total amount reaching 100,000 yuan, a relatively high amount compared with other cities.

"I gave birth to my child on March 12. And I heard that Hohhot has introduced a policy to reward childbirth, and I feel very lucky to have caught up with it," said Han Dan, a resident of Hohhot.

"I think this policy is very good. It can reduce the pressure. I'm from Liangcheng County in Ulanqab, but I've been living in Hohhot for a long time. I'm an expectant mother of a second child. And I'm thinking of moving my household registration and my kid's to Hohhot to see if I can benefit from this policy," said Su Hui, another resident of Hohhot.

According to the policy, Hohhot will conduct two rounds of application reviews each year, in May and November. Families with two or three children only need to submit annual review materials during the subsequent review period to continue receiving the subsidies. Approved payments will be disbursed in batches each January and July.

"Based on our childcare subsidy information system, 417 families have already submitted applications and are awaiting confirmation. The first batch of families who pass the review will receive their subsidies in July," said Zhang Hongmin, director of the population, family and elderly health department with the Health Commission of Hohhot.

Data from the Hohhot Statistics Bureau showed that in 2023, the city's permanent population was around 3.6 million, making it the fastest-growing city in Inner Mongolia. However, the city's population growth rate remained negative at -0.76 permillage.

Chinese city offers handsome cash rewards to boost birth rates

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation