China to clamp down on abortions for ‘non-medical purposes’

Policy uses women as tool for economic goals and could endanger their lives, says rights group

China's pledge to limit abortions puts women's bodies under the state's control just as the one-child policy did and could endanger the lives of women seeking abortions, rights groups have said.

The Chinese government announced on Monday that it would seek to reduce abortions for non-medical reasons" - a move seen as being in line with its attempts to accelerate birthrates.