Gao also described a wage incentive for birth-planning officials, which was tied to how many sterilizations and abortions they were able to achieve. These bonuses could amount to as much as half their base pay, which was relatively modest. “That’s why everyone is so keen to arrest people. The more you arrest, the more bonus you earn,”she said. (Officials I interviewed in other parts of China also described similar bonus systems.) Even doctors would be incentivized to perform more abortions to increase the size of their bonus, said Gao. “Some girls were forced to get surgeries even though they
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