Guangdong, China’s most populous province, has asked the government for permission to allow qualified couples to have a second child on the Chinese mainland, Guangzhou-based Nanfang Daily reported.

“The province has submitted an application to the central government and is now awaiting approval to be the leader in the relaxation of the family-planning policy,” said Chen Yuansheng, director-general of the Guangdong Provincial Population and Family-Planning Commission.

Couples in which either the husband or wife is an only child will be allowed to have a second child if Guangdong’s application is approved, Chen said.

But Chen did not mention whether the central government will give the green light to Guangdong or not, or if the application will be approved.

But the province has room to relax the policy, which has been in place for more than three decades, as Guangdong’s birth rate has remained low for more than 10 years, Chen added.

With more than 104.3 million residents, Guangdong recently surpassed Henan and Shandong provinces to become the most populous province in China. That figure is expected to reach 135 million by the end of 2015.

In Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, the population has exceeded 16 million and is projected to reach 18 million in 2020.