Imagine millions of people answering to the same name.
In China, thats just the kind of problem people are facing. Too many people, not enough names. And in a country with 1.3 billion people problems appear larger, fatter, wider, bigger, taller, and a whole lot more complicated.
Currently, about a billion of Chinese share about a hundred surnames. That makes paperwork somewhat difficult. Police investigation are especially troublesome when chasing a man who may be sharing his name nearly a hundred million. For example, Wang, Chinas most popular name is shared by some 93 million people!
However, Chinas solution deserves praise for its simplicity. With the stroke of the parental pen, China can create about 1.3 million surnames. The government says it will allow parents to combine their last names for their children. If a Mrs. Wang marries a Mr. Dong, the couple could name their child Wangdong or Dongwang.
It appears to be a simple, uncomplicated solution now. But it could easily become a very complicated problem that would grow exponentially in just a few generations. If people in China follow this policy Wang will become WangDong, who will become WangDongToaZhou who will become???
For a deeper look into the implications of Chinas one child, two name policy tune into News Talk Asias Maxwell Book. Each and every day, NewsTalkAsia.com presents podcasts and talk radio from, about, and for Asia.
News Talk Asia, pod casting and talk radio from Asia. Click, listen, and leave your comments below, or email Max at MaxwellBook@gmail.com. File Download (5:05 min / 2 MB)
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