On September 19, population expert Huang Wenzheng published an article refuting National Health Commission Director Lei Haichao's statement that the labor force is sufficient. He pointed out that 8-million annual births cannot sustain long-term scale and warned of a demographic collapse in 20 years without substantial improvements in fertility support. The article was subsequently deleted.
On September 14, Lei Haichao, Director of the National Health Commission, stated that in the face of negative population growth, the fundamentals of China's total population remain unchanged. He proposed actively promoting views on marriage and childbearing, resisting negative views on marriage and childbearing, and simultaneously promoting the integration of childcare and preschool education while reducing the costs of giving birth and raising children.
Affected by the decline in the birth population and the concentration of population in urban areas, the number of primary schools in China has rapidly decreased. Data from the Ministry of Education shows that the number of regular primary schools nationwide has decreased by about 29,700 in five years. Many places have begun to revitalize and utilize idle rural primary and secondary school buildings, converting them into facilities such as elderly care service centers, highlighting the background of accelerating low birth rates and aging population.
On September 11, Wang Huning, Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee of the CCP, met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola in Beijing. Wang Dongfeng, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC, who usually accompanies Wang Huning in meetings with foreign guests, was not present, while Hu Chunhua sat on Wang Huning's right and made a public appearance. Related reports also stated that after months of internal maneuvering, the CCP reached a consensus no later than June to adhere to the collective leadership system, and that Xi Jinping may have made compromises due to health reasons or an inability to suppress opposition forces.
On September 9, the financial account Gelonghui Tuji Tianxia released data stating that the number of primary schools in China has decreased by approximately 86% over 45 years.
On August 28, official data showed that China's annual birth population in 2025 was only 7.92 million, continuing the downward trend in births.
1961 was the most brutal year of China's Three Years of Natural Disasters, during which over 10 million Chinese people starved to death, and cannibalism even occurred in rural areas. Despite this, 9.49 million newborns were born that year.