Divorces fall 70pc in China after govt orders couples to cool off

NEW YORK: The number of divorces recorded in China has fallen by more than 70% since the introduction of a mandatory "cooling-off" period earlier this year, foreign media reported.

According to statistics released by the country's Ministry of Civil Affairs, 296,000 divorces were registered in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 1.06 million in the final quarter of last year -- a drop of 72%. There was a nearly 52% drop year-on-year, from 612,000 in the first quarter of 2020.

Under a new Civil Code which came into force on January 1, couples filing for divorce must wait 30 days after submitting their application, during which time either party can withdraw the petition. They must then apply again after the month is up in order for the marriage to be ended.

The law, based on local legislation already in force in several parts of the country, was widely criticised as hampering personal freedoms and potentially trapping people in unhappy or even violent marriages. But supporters in state media defended it as "ensuring family stability and social order."