China is trying to make both marriage and divorce easier, more
private and healthier, said China's 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 make their marriages legal, said Li at a national
conference on Sunday.
There are currently 12,397 marriage registries in China and
since 2005 the country has been working to standardize
registrations throughout the nation. Li said some couples didn't
bother registering their marriages as such offices were often far
away from their home villages.
"Problems still exist as only a few provincial governments have
set up marriage registry databases. This has hindered the process
of issuing marriage certificates," said Li. Many local governments
had yet to budget for marriage registration offices, he observed.
"An efficient process should be worked out to make registration
much easier for people."
The Minister also said since 2003 when new regulations did away
with compulsory pre-marital physical check-ups fewer than 10
percent of couples are now having them before they tie the knot.
The number is less than one percent of all couples in some
locations.
However, a number of local governments in Zhejiang, Fujian,
Jiangxi, Hubei and Shanghai are offering free pre-marital
check-ups. Some Chinese experts want the compulsory pre-marital
medical restored to ensure there are fewer problem births.
Li said Chinese people could now marry or divorce much more
easily as employers need not necessarily be notified or asked to
provide recommendations on the suitability of an employee's
plans.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)