China recently banned a number of "crude and insensitive slogans" that promote China's one-child-per-family policy, and the country's National Population and Family Planning Commission has issued 190 acceptable messages, the AP/Forbes reports (Olesen, AP/Forbes, 8/5).

According to Xinhua News Agency, slogans on posters and walls that advocate forced abortions and threaten harsh punishment have damaged the image of the one-child policy, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 8/5). China's one-child-per-family policy seeks to keep the country's population, now 1.3 billion, at about 1.7 billion by 2050. Methods of enforcing the policy, such as fines and work demotions, vary among Chinese provinces and cities (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/25).

"Many slogans promoting the family planning policy are poorly worded or full of strong language that leave an impression of simply forcing people to give up having more babies, causing misunderstanding on the policy and even tarnishing the image of the government," NPFPC said. It added, "If such low-quality slogans, which may cause complaint and resentment, are not corrected and remain where they are, the country's family planning efforts in the new era will be hindered."

According to Reuters/Victoria Times Colonist, NPFPC has come up with 190 acceptable slogans, such as "The mother earth is too tired to sustain more children," that will replace others that the commission judged offensive (Reuters/Victoria Times Colonist, 8/5).