China fines women over 1-child policy breach in cross-border birthsFebruary 7, 2012 - 17:00 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Chinese mothers who travel to Hong Kong to give birth to a second child are being fined on their return for breaching Beijing's one-child policy, a radio report said Tuesday, February 7. Mothers from several Chinese cities have already been fined for cross-border births, Zheng Feng, director of family planning in Guangdong province, was quoted as saying by RTHK radio in Hong Kong. Tens of thousands of Chinese women a year travel to Hong Kong to give birth, some to avoid fines for second children under China's one-child policy. Zheng did not say how much the mothers were fined but government-run RTHK said fines for violating the policy could be up to six times the average annual per capita disposable income of residents' home towns, M&C reported, citing DPA. The number of women coming to Hong Kong from China to give birth has soared since cross-border travel restrictions were eased from 2003 onwards. In 2010, some 42,000 of Hong Kong's 89,000 births were to women from the mainland, whose children qualify for residency, free education and health care if born in the city. Amid rising discontent over the influx and its effect on public health services, the Hong Kong government has capped the number of Chinese women allowed to give birth in the city in 2012 at 34,000. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Stephan Schütz, Executive Partner at Gerkan, Marg and Partners. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. Partner news | U.S. warns Georgia not to side with Moscow against the west Georgia has been warned by the U.S. not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow. Moscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity” The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said. Armenia, India hold first defense consultations The meeting was attended by Indian Ambassador Nilakshi Saha Sinha and Defense Attaché Brigadier General Naveen Nijhawan. Court in Azerbaijan extends former Karabakh leader’s arrest by 5 months The Binagadi District Court in Azerbaijan has granted the prosecutor’s petition to extend the arrest of Arkady Ghukasyan. |