In the world’s most populous country, the growth rate of the population in China sank to another low in 2021, reports ANI.

“The official new birth figures are not accurate. Actually, the gap between the birthrate and death rate is closing up, and you have such a narrow margin between the two. The [official] natural growth rate is not real. This is basically for propaganda,” Kent Deng, a professor of economic history at the London School of Economics and Political Science was quoted as saying by ANI.

As per the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics, China recorded a birth rate of 0.752 percent and a death rate of 0.718 percent, resulting in a natural growth rate of 0.034 percent.

Kent Deng was quoted as saying by ANI that any change that weakens the People’s Liberation Army, including the decline in population, will weaken the Communist Party’s rule in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

“In the PRC point of view, the party means the army to safeguard China’s national sovereignty. Army is also used to maintain China’s tranquility or stability internally. Anything that weakens the army will automatically weaken the party rule. Who rules China? I will say not the party, but the army rules China,” he said.