China considers making it easier to get married

China might be about to make it easier to get married and harder to get divorced, as it bids to build a “family friendly society” and boost torpid birth rates.

HONG KONG — China might be about to make it easier to get married and harder to get divorced, the latest step in its bid to build a “family friendly society” and boost lethargic birth rates.

Couples hoping to get married will no longer be required to register at their household location, according to a revised draft law released by the country’s Ministry of Civil Affairs Sunday, which also slashes red tape around the marriage registration process.

Divorces, however, will have a 30-day “cooling-off period,” for either party to terminate the process if they’re unwilling to go through with the divorce, as officials hoped to discourage hasty separations. The change has sparked fierce criticism on social media in China, with tags related to the new law garnering more than 500 million views on social media platform Weibo.

“When they want you to do something, they’ll simplify the process, but when they don’t, there will be endless procedures and queues,” one user wrote.

“If education issues can’t be properly addressed, how can we solve marriage issues?” said another. “The biggest family expenses are education and healthcare.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asia/china-wants-make-easier-marry-harder-divorce-rcna166695

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