Ho Tam, Bowl with eight boys, each labelled "No.1 Son" (FC-015) (2025)

Ho Tam  
Bowl with eight boys, each labelled "No.1 Son" (FC-015) 
2025  
inkjet on glossy photo paper  
edition of 5  
22 x 17 inches
unframed
 
 
The one-child policy, officially the family planning policy, is the population control policy of China since 1979. Because China has a long tradition of son preference, it leads to the high male-to-female sex ratios in the current Chinese population. 
 
Many parents and grandparents in China over-indulge their only child. The indulged children in one-child families were referred as “little emperors”. Since the 1990s, there have been predictions that this will result in a higher tendency toward poor social communication and cooperation skills among the new generation. Being over-indulged, lacking self-discipline and having no adaptive capabilities are adjectives that are often associated with Chinese singletons.
 
A new law took effect in 2016 to abolish the one-child policy, allowing all families to have two children. And in 2021, China’s government relaxed the restrictions even more, allowing up to three children. This change was brought about mainly due to the declining birth rate and population growth, and to balance the male-to-female ratio.