Belgium's population has a natural rate of change (i.e., excluding immigration) approaching zero (0.2% per year in this decade, and even lower in the previous one). Neighboring countries already have negative natural growth. Since population crashes also have bad effects on societies, it's not surprising that many European countries have adopted pro-child policies.
Belgium is not contributing in any significant way to world population growth. The 0.1M Belgians born each year are basically cancelled out by the 0.1M Belgians who die in the same period.
You say "China good, Belgium bad" but in fact China's population is growing more than twice as fast as Belgium's (0.5% per year in this decade; much higher in the previous one). In absolute terms, China contributes 300 times more to world population growth than Belgium (2012's natural population change was +6,690,000 in China, compared to +22,000 in Belgium). And that's without taking into account that "families are believed to be hiding tens of millions of babies to evade the one-child policy" in China according to the very article we're supposedly discussing.
And so I am pleased to present you with this award for The Most Gratuitous Use of the Word "Belgium" in a Serious Hacker News Comment.
Belgium is not contributing in any significant way to world population growth. The 0.1M Belgians born each year are basically cancelled out by the 0.1M Belgians who die in the same period.
You say "China good, Belgium bad" but in fact China's population is growing more than twice as fast as Belgium's (0.5% per year in this decade; much higher in the previous one). In absolute terms, China contributes 300 times more to world population growth than Belgium (2012's natural population change was +6,690,000 in China, compared to +22,000 in Belgium). And that's without taking into account that "families are believed to be hiding tens of millions of babies to evade the one-child policy" in China according to the very article we're supposedly discussing.
And so I am pleased to present you with this award for The Most Gratuitous Use of the Word "Belgium" in a Serious Hacker News Comment.