70年代中國政府鑑於人口所帶來的壓力，開始實行一系列嚴厲的計劃生育政策，短短數十年間就使中國人口迅速轉型。然而，中國最基本的國情特徵之一就是人口眾多，在人口基數龐大的情形下，衍生出了人口不斷增長的壓力，而這相對地又對中國人均資源不足的問題造成擠壓效果，人口增長問題也就成為中國朝向可持續性發展的瓶頸。 在人口基數龐大、資源短缺且利用效率低下、環境污染和破壞嚴重、技術水平較低、社會保障體系未臻完備等等的情況下，使得中國的發展受到極大的壓力。由中國的基本國情和可持續性發展的目標中可知：「控制人口數量，提高人口質量」仍是中國達成可持續性發展之方向，同時中國今後的發展也不能再一昧地走只注重數量增長而不考量資源合理利用的發展模式。 In the 1970's , the Chinese government practised a strict population planning policy to control the pressure of population . Its success has led to a rapid demographic transition . But in the other side , China's large population is leading to a serious deterioration of the natural resources . The problem of population growth has become a bottle-neck to the China's sustainable development . In the sistuation of a large population , the problems of shortage and waste of natural resources , environmental pollution , lower level of technology , and poor social security , China's sustainable development is subjecting to a cruel test . In order to achieve the target , “ control the population size and improve its quality ” still is the direction toward the China's sustainable development . To the author , the China's development could not only lay its emphasis on quantity , but also should consider the development model for the reasonable resources used.
