Beijing

EVER since the birth of her first child 10 years ago, Xiao Chen, a 35-year-old sales manager of a furniture retail chain in Beijing has wanted a second child.

Today, after the abolition of the controversial one-child policy a year ago, she is still weighing her options: the cost of living in Beijing is high; her first child has extra-curricular swimming lessons four times a week so she can apply to enter a good middle school; and there's also the mortgage to be paid. With a monthly household income of 10,000 yuan (S$2,052)) there is little elbow room to make way for another child.