Population and Labour

China’s population remains a dramatic and controversial arena of policy concern. ¹⁵⁴ Within China, policy makers continue to grapple with the food, employment and general developmental consequences of population growth. Outside interest in China’s population is also high. One reason for this is that since China accounts for more than one fifth of the world’s total population its population trends have a global as well as domestic and regional impact. Global impact in the sense that world population and environmental objectives depend on China’s population performance. Regional impact in the sense that failure to manage the size and movement of China’s population could result in unwanted migrations and environmental damage for China’s immediate neighbours. These would be of particular concern for small economies, including Hong Kong.