UNFPA to bow out

THE UNITED Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) may quit China, the most populous country in the world, following indications that China is planning a harsh family planning drive in the countryside. But UNFPA executive director Nafis Sadik hopes Beijing will itself take the initiative and announce the end of the fund's programme in China.

Under the presidentship of George Bush, the US had declined to contribute to the fund for its controversial role in implementing China's one-child-per-family programme. Though the Clinton administration plans to restore funding, it is holding back because of congressional concern about recent reports on UNFPA's role in China.