Abortion pledge adds to scepticism over women’s rights in China

Analysis: plan to reduce abortions as birthrates plunge draws comparisons to The Handmaid's Tale

Far-reaching proposals from Beijing on women's development" have sparked concern over a pledge to reduce abortions, with feminists and academics pointing to the government's history of control over women's reproductive rights.

On Monday China's state council published its latest 10-year outline for women's development. The lengthy document contained guidelines for China's gender-based policy, but it was a short phrase that caught particular attention: a pledge to reduce abortions conducted for non-medical reasons".