Controversy sparked by fertility propaganda slogan at a hospital in Guangdong

In the year 2025, decades after the Chinese Communist Party forcefully implemented the one-child policy, China is now facing a population crisis. The authorities have resorted to all measures to encourage childbirth and ensure fertility, a stark shift from the past where abortions were mandated. Recently, Friendly Hospital in Heyuan, Guangdong Province, unveiled several anti-abortion theme display boards, claiming that abortions harm the male lineage. These displays sparked controversy after they were shared online by netizens and were subsequently taken down.

The slogans featured on the display boards included statements like “Abortions and miscarriages sever the male ancestral bloodline, damaging the vitality of the male family lineage” and “Abortion is akin to killing sons and daughters.” These themes not only touched upon gender controversies but also suggested that children born after abortions may exhibit rebellious behavior and lower intelligence.

Some netizens speculated in the comments that there may be a prevailing preference for male children in Heyuan, leading to gender selection practices. The promotion slogans were viewed as a form of provocation.

In response to media inquiries, the Heyuan Health Bureau stated that they had taken prompt action regarding the matter, but did not disclose specific measures, advising further inquiries to the hospital. The Friendly Hospital hotline confirmed they had noted the reporters’ inquiries and recommended contacting the relevant department.

According to reports by The Paper, the hospital clarified that the anti-abortion campaign was an external public service announcement and had been removed.

While mainland Chinese official media criticize the campaign as promoting “feudal superstitions” and being “unscientific,” discussions on social media platforms mainly harken back to the controversial forced abortion policies previously enforced by the Chinese Communist Party.

Online discussions reflect on past slogans like “Abortions are history now” and “In the past, it was ‘abort if necessary, cannot give birth.'” Questions arise regarding the justification for forced abortions and the consequences of such policies, shedding light on the brutal practices of the past.

A Chinese woman residing in Japan expressed to Epoch Times that fetuses indeed have life, a common understanding rather than superstition. Chinese tradition has always valued life, making abortion a highly contentious issue. However, the CCP, driven by political motives, implemented extreme measures, disregarding life. The decades-long one-child policy has inflicted tremendous disaster on the Chinese population.

As early as 1973, the CCP included family planning policies in its Fourth Five-Year Plan, later explicitly stating in 1980 that “one couple, one child” should be enforced. This was followed by strict legislation, administrative penalties, and brutal abortion practices to implement the one-child policy.

Several years ago, the CCP claimed that China had avoided the birth of four hundred million people due to the family planning policies implemented over 30 years. Official statistics from the CCP suggest that over 13 million abortions are performed annually in China, a figure that could be even higher when accounting for unrecorded cases, including medical abortions.

An article by Ming Pao in Hong Kong on January 4th criticized the mentality of propaganda departments in traditional values campaigns against abortion, remarking that their approach still relies on fear tactics to succeed, reflecting outdated thinking patterns despite China’s shifting demographics and the need for pro-birth policies.

Overseas netizens have shared old photos and slogans from the past, reminiscing about the ruthless enforcement of the one-child policy by the Chinese government, such as “Abort, expel, flow – must not give birth!” and “Better to let blood flow like a river than to have one more child.” These slogans serve as historical evidence of various stages in China’s family planning policies. It was only in 2011 that the authorities began to tone down harsh commands and warnings.

Following the recent opening up of fertility policies by the CCP, the public’s fears and discomfort about childbirth stem from the harsh realities and crises in healthcare, food security, housing prices, social security, and more. Chinese internet users sharply criticize the authorities’ insistence that having children is both a personal and national duty, mocking the notion of “patriotically having children.”

Netizens sarcastically remark, “Formerly, we sterilized for the country, now we give birth for the country!” Some find it absurd that the personal matter of childbearing has been elevated to a national imperative, advocating for the restoration of reproductive rights to the people.

Many online users lament that the reluctance to have children stems from concerns that China’s societal conditions cannot guarantee a child’s healthy and safe upbringing. They fear raising children in an environment devoid of dignity, human rights, and where they may be treated like expendable commodities in the future.