China to merge health ministry, family planning commission

However, some experts are not lending their full support to the merger.

"As the family planning policy is still a national policy (that cannot be abolish1ed), the two ministries will still have different functions, even though they are integrated," said Jing Jun, a professor in the Sociology Department of Tsinghua University.

He suggested that after the merger, the functions of the existing National Population and Family Planning Commission should be focused on drawing up family development plans.

"In other words, its role should not be simply limiting population growth, but boosting family development, instead," he said.