On February 1, 2021, a post by China NewsWeek was in trend on China's similar Twitter platform, Weibo:
"Divorce appointments in Guangzhou are booked until March 1, but online brokers are selling them for 600 yuan ($ 94)."
This post raised questions about whether the number of divorces granted was limited, but officials at the Guangzhou civil affairs office were quick to deny this.
Indeed, starting January 1, 2021, new "cooling-off period" legislation became law in China. According to this legislation, if a couple wants to divorce, they must do the following:
1. Make an appointment online - although the number of appointments available each day is limited. Especially in big cities, many couples often fail to buy the available "tickets" and their divorce is constantly delayed.
2. After applying for divorce, a couple has a 30-day "cooling off period".
3. After that, they can officially register for divorce. Both parties must be present when the official divorce registration is done in the office, or the divorce will be postponed for another 30 days.
4. During the cooling off period, either party can cancel the divorce. If one party still insists on divorce, they should go to court.
As lawmakers have explained, the delay is intended to avoid impulsive decisions by young couples and does not apply to separations involving domestic violence. But, there is a problem: Some people claimed that the rule can still delay divorces for victims, as domestic violence is difficult to prove in court.
Some also argue that the regulations are against the freedom of divorce.
The numbers are indicative: In 2019, 10,108 million couples got married in China and 4,461 million couples divorced. In 2020, 9.411 million were married and 4.034 million were divorced. In the first three quarters of 2021, 5.886 million couples were married and only 1.584 million couples were divorced. The marriage rate fell moderately, which is in line with long-term trends, however the decline in the divorce rate is significant - a 40% drop.
The goals of the Chinese government's new regulations are clear: designing and shaping the future demographics. But perhaps the demographics of past generations are irreversible. Maybe it's time to prepare for the "age of celibacy".
Burimi: Psychology Today
