Chinese couples have mixed reactions over China's recent announcement on ending its decades-old one-child policy, allowing married couples to have, at the most, two children.

On the one hand, some couples felt ecstatic over the new policy, especially those who have been wanting to have a baby boy. On the other, couples have expressed misgivings on the abolition of the policy saying that they could not afford the cost and difficulty of rearing a second child.

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Thursday's announcement was the highlight of the Communist Party meeting in which President Xi Jinping sought to display his control over a flagging economy.

Reports said Beijing expressed alarm over the ageing population that could jeopardize China's economic ascent. It said that abolishing the one-child policy "is the only way" to remedy the situation.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission that enforces the policy said the relaxation of the policy will arrest the shrinking labor force and ease pressure on the aging population.

"This will benefit sustained and healthy economic development," the commission said in a statement.

Economists, demographers and fertility experts were rather skeptical about the new policy, pointing out that the decision will not result in a baby boom, nor will it necessarily translate to a better-performing economy.

There are tens of millions of couples who have only one child and stand to qualify under the new rule but not many are grabbing the opportunity.

It will be recalled that Beijing relaxed the one-child policy in 2013, allowing couples to have two children if one of the spouses is an only child.

Data indicates that the relaxed policy back then did not entice many Chinese couples, citing financial and emotional difficulties in rearing a second child.

"Before I had my first child, I was hoping for the relaxation of the one-child policy," said Chen Feng, 36, who works at a medical equipment company. "I changed my mind after I gave birth to my daughter."

"It takes a lot of energy to take care of a child, and you want to make sure the child will have a good future," she said. "So my husband and I have decided not to have a second child."

The one-child policy that was in place for decades was imposed by then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the 70s in a bid to preserve the economic fruits and not be "devoured" by population growth.

For the Chinese leaders, the policy was a triumphant display of power over the intimate aspects of Chinese life but for the citizens, it was an assault to their privacy and resented  the brutal intrusions into their family lives in the form of forced abortions and crippling fines.

TagsOne Child Policy, two children