China NPC: Three-child policy formally passed into law

China has formally revised its laws to allow couples to have up to three children, to boost the birth rate. The regulation was one of several passed on Friday at a meeting of the country's top lawmakers, the National People's Congress (NPC). Details on a controversial anti-sanctions law for Hong Kong, which many businesses feared would put them in a difficult position, were also expected. But Hong Kong media reported on Friday that the decision had been delayed.

China had announced back in May that it would allow couples to have up to three children, in a major policy shift. That decision has now been formally passed into law, along with several resolutions aimed at boosting the birth rate and "reducing the burden" of raising a child, said Xinhua news agency. These include cancelling the "social maintenance fee" - a financial penalty couples pay for having children beyond the limit, encouraging local governments to offer parental leave, increasing women's employment rights; and improving childcare infrastructure.

Recent census data had shown a steep decline in the birth rate.

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