The City of Beijing is now giving remarried couples the opportunity to have another child of their own through new family planning regulations.
Under the latest amendment to Beijing's family laws, remarried couples where either partner already had a child from a previous marriage, and who have a child of their own after remarriage, are allowed to have a second child in their current relationship, Women of China reported.
The amendment also provides that remarried couples who already have two or more children by their previous relationships, but have no child of their own in the current marriage, are allowed to have one child of their own in the current marriage.
Under the old law, the city only allows remarried couples to have a child of their own if they have just one child from the previous and current marriages.
However, the new law does not apply to couples who had a child and divorced later but eventually restored their relationship. It is also not applicable to parents who already had one child out of wedlock before marrying.
The new law, which began implementation on March 24, came several months after China made a landmark reversal of its previous one-child policy, allowing couples to bear two children. The move is seen to address the country's aging population.
Beijing's new family law also provides for increased maternity and paternity leaves, CCTV America reported. Mothers will now be able to avail at least 128 days leave after giving birth, which is 30 days longer than the previous length. The leave can also be extended to up to seven months, as long as the company or office the mother is working for allows it.
Meanwhile, fathers are allowed to take a 15-day leave during their wives' pregnancy.
Beijing will now also provide basic public services like maternity insurance, childbirth registration and medical reimbursements for its migrant population.