China is trying to make both marriages and divorces easier and
more private, says Minister of Civil Affairs Li Xueju.
A network of marriage registration offices now covers 97 percent
of all counties in the country, encouraging couples in remote rural
areas to legalize their marriages, said Li at a national conference
on Sunday.
China currently has 12,397 marriage registries across the
country with nationwide efforts to standardize marriage
registrations present since 2005.
Li says some couples don't bother registering their marriages at
registration offices since these are often too far from their home
villages.
"Problems still exist as only a few provincial governments have
set up marriage registry databases, which has hindered the process
of issuing marriage certificates," said Li. Many local governments
have yet to put marriage registration offices in their budgets, he
said. "An efficient process should be worked out to make
registration much easier for people," said Li.
The minister also added that since 2003, when new regulations
removed compulsory pre-marital physical check-ups, fewer than 10
percent of couples are now having physical examines before they tie
the knot. The number has even fallen to below one percent of
couples in some areas.
Some local governments in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei and
Shanghai are offering free pre-marital check-ups. Some experts want
the compulsory pre-marital check-ups restored to ensure fewer
problem births.
Li said that Chinese people can now marry or divorce with ease
since employers no longer need to be notified or provide
recommendations on the suitability of an employee's marriage
plans.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)
