[bamboozled]

I read that if they did this today, it wouldn't make a difference, it's too late to recover from now, mathematical impossibility.

The majority of their population is beyond the child bearing age so it's downhill from here no matter what policies they put in place, there's going to be a major population crash for them in the next 30 years.

Else...I'm sure Xi would've done it already.

[slaw]

there are 180 milion women aged 20-40. On Xi order they can give birth to 180 milion new Chinese citizens in 9 months.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101677/population-distr...

[snovv_crash]

Since we're talking about an amoral baby making law, the age bracket 16-36 is more realistic. Doesn't change much in terms of population, but also doesn't explain how it will be enforced.

However this is just the beginning. After that, assuming worst case labour practices, you have another 10-15 years of supporting increasingly expensive unproductive citizens before they can even start to pay back the costs on society they incurred by being born. It's a long slow road...

[adolph]

As usual Neal Stephenson was ahead of the game. The plot to duplicate "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" is facilitated by Confucians needing educational materials for vast numbers of girls (maybe clones?) being raised on nursery ships.

[snovv_crash]

They were unwanted daughters who were discarded by a society that wanted sons.

(and yes Stephenson is a genius)

[bamboozled]

The babies don't come out ready to work in factories and invade Taiwan.

[slaw]

That fortunately Xi cannot order.