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 Both were among a sweeping raft of reforms announced last month
after a meeting of the ruling Communist Party that mapped out policy
for the next decade.
Under the new policy, couples will be allowed to have two children
if one of the parents is an only child. Previously, a couple could
generally only have a second child if both parents were only
children.
The plan was envisioned by the government about five years ago, with
officials worried that the strict controls were undermining economic
growth and contributing to a rapidly ageing population China had no
hope of supporting financially.
The resolution, formally approved by China's largely rubber- stamp
parliament on Saturday, will allow local legislatures to decide when
to implement the policies, Xinhua said.
Parliament also approved the abolition of the "re-education through
labor" system, in place since 1957, which allows police to sentence
petty criminals to up to four years' confinement in labor camps
without going through the courts.
Critics say the system undermines the rule of law and is often used
against political activists and followers of Falun Gong, a banned
spiritual group.
(Reporting by Kazunori Takada; editing by Paul Tait)
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