China to ease up on 'one child' policy after 30 years

China is to loosen its one-child policy and abolish labour camps.

The ruling Communist Party released a key policy document that said it will now allow couples to have two children if one of the parents is an only child.

The official Xinhua news agency also says China will abolish a much-criticised labour camp system.

The party announced the changes following a key, four-day meeting of party leaders that ended on Tuesday in Beijing.

China’s one-child policy currently limits most urban couples to one child and allows two children for rural families if their first-born is a girl. Other exceptions previously also included allowing two children for parents who are themselves both only-children.

The labour camp – or “re-education through labor” – system was established to punish early critics of the Communist Party but now is used by local officials to deal with people challenging their authority on issues including land rights and corruption.