Letters | Why Chinese preference for baby boys is so hard to change: deep-rooted traditions are not easy to shake off

It is clear that the two-child policy introduced in 2016 really did not do much to change the mindsets of some mainland Chinese parents.

At the wellness club I go to for workouts, the trainer said that one of his charges, who is in her early 30s, went to Hong Kong recently when about eight weeks pregnant, since tests to check the baby’s gender are forbidden in mainland China. She later aborted her baby.

I think it is really cruel to end an innocent life in this way. However, I believe this is not an uncommon scenario, given the social preference for boys, especially in rural areas of China.

This fellow gym-goer already has a daughter, and her husband was hoping that the second child would be a boy, so as to make up the word “good” (好) in Chinese, which combines the characters for girl and boy. Hence the visit to Hong Kong.

To me, each new life living inside your body is a blessing from God. In fact, there are some women who, due to some health issues, may manage to conceive but will never be able to carry a baby to term.