China's Ministry of Civil Affairs recently released the revised draft of regulation on marriage registration for public comment. The revised content includes an individual's household register not being required and no regional restrictions for marriage registration, which experts believe will streamline the process and help build a family friendly society.

中国民政部近日发布了修订后的《婚姻登记条例（征求意见稿）》，公开征求公众意见。修订内容包括不要求提供个人户籍证明和取消婚姻登记地域限制， 专家认为这将简化流程，有助于构建友好型社会。

The public can submit their feedback before September 11, according to the civil affairs ministry.

据民政部称，公众可在9月11日前提交反馈意见。

The revised draft points out that the regulation is formulated based on Civil Code of the People's Republic of China and other laws. According to the draft, the country will enhance information-based marriage management, improve the national marriage information database, and establish an information-sharing mechanism to ensure that marriage data is timely, accurate, complete, and secure.

修订草案指出，该条例是根据《中华人民共和国民法典》等相关法律制定的。根据草案，国家将加强婚姻信息化管理，完善全国婚姻信息数据库， 建立信息共享机制，确保婚姻数据及时、准确、完整和安全。

In comparison to the original regulation on marriage registration issued in 2003, the draft removes the requirement to present a household register during marriage registration.

与2003年发布的原《婚姻登记条例》相比， 草案取消了婚姻登记时需提供户籍证明的要求。

There will no longer be regional restrictions for registration, with the original regulation requiring that it should be handled at the household registration location of the parties involved.

同时，也取消了地域限制， 原条例规定婚姻登记需在双方户籍所在地办理。

Jiang Quanbao, a professor from the Institute for Population and Development Studies at Xi'an Jiaotong University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the original regulation has been implemented for more than 20 years, which requires revision and updating in face of changing social habits.

西安交通大学人口与发展研究所教授姜全保周三在接受《环球时报》采访时表示， 原条例已实施20多年， 面对不断变化的社会习惯，需要进行修订和更新。

The draft standardizes marriage registration, safeguards marriage freedom and equality, and helps build a family friendly society in many aspects including simplified procedures, said Jiang.

姜全保说，草案规范了婚姻登记，保障了婚姻自由和平等， 并在简化程序等多方面有助于构建友好型社会。



The draft calls for marriage registration authorities to provide marriage and family counseling services, fully leverage the expertise of professionals, and guide the parties involved in marriage to establish equal, harmonious, and civilized marital and family relationships.

草案要求婚姻登记机构提供婚姻和家庭咨询服务， 充分利用专业人士的专业知识，引导婚姻当事人建立平等、和谐、文明的婚姻家庭关系。

Jiang said that this also helps enhance its service function, giving marriages with potential for reconciliation another chance to be saved, and helping to prevent impulsive divorces.

姜全保表示，这也有助于增强其服务功能，为有可能和解的婚姻提供又一次挽救的机会， 并有助于防止冲动离婚。

In the chapter on divorce registration, the draft further elaborates on the cooling-off period for divorce, stating that within 30 days from the date the authority receives the divorce registration application, if either party is unwilling to divorce, they may withdraw the divorce registration application. Then the marriage registration authority shall terminate the divorce registration process.

在离婚登记章节中，草案进一步阐述了离婚冷静期， 指出自婚姻登记机构收到离婚登记申请之日起30日内，任何一方不愿意离婚的， 可以向婚姻登记机构撤回离婚登记申请。然后，婚姻登记机构应终止离婚登记程序。

The regulation aims to "promote the importance of marriage and family," reduce impulsive divorces, and uphold social stability, and better protect legitimate rights of the parties involved, according to Jiang.

姜全保表示，该条例旨在“弘扬婚姻家庭的重要性”，减少冲动离婚，维护社会稳定， 更好地保护婚姻当事人的合法权益。

If one party is coerced into marriage, the coerced party can request cancellation of the marriage according to law. If one party has a serious illness, they should truthfully inform the other party before the marriage registration; if they do not truthfully inform the other party, the other party can request termination of the marriage, the draft details.

草案还详细说明了，如果一方是被迫结婚的，被胁迫的一方可以依法请求撤销婚姻。如果一方患有重大疾病，应当在结婚登记前如实告知另一方；不如实告知的，另一方可以向人民法院请求撤销婚姻。



China's local authorities have implemented multiple measures to establish a family friendly society over recent years, such as creating traditional Chinese group wedding ceremony for young couples, implementing cross-regional marriage and divorce registration pilot policy.

近年来，中国地方政府采取了多项措施来构建友好型社会， 如为年轻夫妇举办传统中式集体婚礼， 实施跨区域婚姻和离婚登记试点政策。

According to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 3.43 million couples in China registered for marriage in the first half of this year, down by 498,000 couples during the same period from 2023.

据民政部数据显示，今年上半年，中国共有343万对新人登记结婚， 同比减少49.8万对。