Lijia Zhang

Opinion | On marriage and babies, maybe China should listen to its citizens

In a national push, local governments in China have been roped in to promote marriage and childbirth as a social and economic duty

Beijing should tread gently though, as public attitudes towards where the state may apply its coercive powers have changed

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A man pushes a child riding on a suitcase at Beijing West Railway Station on January 18. As the Chinese population declines, pilot projects are being launched across China to create a marriage and childbearing culture for a “new era”. Photo: AP

Lijia Zhang

Published: 8:30pm, 31 Oct 2023

On Chinese social media, there are many posts discussing China’s rules on marriage and divorce. In the past three years, Beijing has introduced a flurry of amendments and moved towards pronatalist policies. Among directives about child custody and matrimonial assets, the authorities now require divorcing couples to undergo mediation meetings, and a divorce can only be granted when both sides agree.

The marriage law itself has been integrated into China’s first civil code, a comprehensive legal framework that covers everything from inheritance to civil rights. Effective from January 2021, the fifth part of the code deals with marriage and family.

The most controversial rule is the one that forces couples to undergo a 30-day “cooling off” period before finalising a divorce. Worried about the trend of rising divorce rate, the authorities took the move to discourage impulsive divorce. Many citizens, however, fear it could interfere with their personal freedom.

That was my own worry too. As I watch the new developments, my concerns have only deepened. In May, China’s Family Planning Association was reported to be launching pilot projects in more than 20 cities to create a marriage and childbearing culture for a “new era”.

Some measures are laudable and necessary – for example, curbing outdated practices such as high “bride prices”, encouraging couples to share childcare responsibilities, and creating a more family-friendly work environment.

Other aspects of the projects, however, suggest that the state is adopting a more coercive approach as China’s young people put off starting families. One key task of the projects is to advocate getting married and having children at “the appropriate age”.

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Opinion | On marriage and babies, maybe China should listen to its citizens

In a national push, local governments in China have been roped in to promote marriage and childbirth as a social and economic duty Beijing should tread gently though, as public attitudes towards where the state may apply its coercive powers have changed

In a national push, local governments in China have been roped in to promote marriage and childbirth as a social and economic duty

Beijing should tread gently though, as public attitudes towards where the state may apply its coercive powers have changed