A marriage registration center in a northeastern China city has generated controversy after posting four signs suggesting married women not worry about their husbands if they have occasional affairs.

"It is not a serious problem if your husband occasionally has an affair with another woman," one sign reads at the marriage registration center in Shenyang City, capital of Liaoning Province.

Another sign used a metaphor to make its point - it compared an extraordinary person to a teapot that is always surrounded by several cups, the Shenyang-based Chinese Business Morning View reported yesterday.

Yang Hong told the newspaper she felt uncomfortable after reading the signs when she went to the center on Monday with her boyfriend.

"The signs seem to target women. Why should men be free to do what they want," Yang was quoted as saying. "Does this mean all marital problems are the fault of women or does it mean it is a woman's fault for not forgiving her husband when he cheats on her," she asked.

An employee at the center said the signs had been there for several years and that the words were from a Website.

"We just wanted to help young couples," the employee told the newspaper.

He added that the center will remove the offensive signs.

"We'll fix the problem even though only one person complained," the newspaper quoted him as saying.