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China’s population is shrinking. It faces a perilous future.
China will soon no longer be world’s most populous country—a title it has held for centuries—underscoring the daunting challenge it confronts to maintain its global dominance.
BUNDLES OF JOY
At a postnatal center in Hangzhou, caregivers tend to babies while their mothers recuperate. Private centers like this one offer new mothers who can afford it the time needed to recover, known as zuo yuezi in traditional Chinese medicine. The cost of raising children in modern China is a key factor in the country’s declining population.
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