Officials are discouraging couples from getting divorced, according to an article by Shanghai Daily, as a result of the rising divorce rate in the country. In 2014 alone, about 3.6 million couples got divorced--double the numbers in the previous decade.
Instead of making rushed, irrational decisions, couples are being given advice by government officials to think things through to avoid regret and additional stress.
Such was the case with Li An, a 28-year-old man who wanted to divorce his wife last year after endless quarrels regarding their baby's care. After a year, he is now back together with his wife.
During the process of filing for a divorce, a staff member from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture's civil affairs bureau declined to grant them a divorce. Instead, they were given a reservation form and was told to come back after a week if Li An and his wife were still keen on getting divorced.
"The seven days are a grace period," said Wang Zhaowei, head of Dali Bai's civil affairs bureau, in an interview with Xinhua. "Many couples, especially the young, rush irrationally into decisions. They will probably change their mind after they calm down."
Dali's process on divorce, appointments and reservations included, started in Feb. 2015. By the end of the year, 9,571 couples made reservations, with almost half of the number not pushing through with the divorce. A similar system has been set up in other cities across China.
Back in the day, couples who wanted to get divorced must get permission from community committees or employers. A regulation passed in 2003 simplified the process, allowing couples to divorce on the same day of application for 10 yuan ($1.5).
"In the past, people wanted to divorce mostly because of domestic violence and affairs," said Liu Min, a divorce lawyer from Anhui Province, East China. "Now it is increasingly common among young couples to separate after trivial disputes or interference of their parents."
Although the new system is well-meaning, it is not without critics.
"It is not proper for governments to put obstacles in front of people wanting a divorce, because Chinese citizens enjoy freedom of marriage," said Nie Aiping from the Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences.