More babies, fewer divorces, and dealing with sexual harassment
Chinese lawmakers on Thursday, the final day of this year’s Two Sessions political meetings, passed the country’s first civil code — a legislative package aimed at governing almost every aspect of Chinese people’s lives, including marriage, property, and personal rights.
Chinese lawmakers on Thursday, the final day of this year’s Two Sessions political meetings, passed the country’s first civil code — a legislative package aimed at governing almost every aspect of Chinese people’s lives, including marriage, property, and personal rights. The legislation, which consists of 84 chapters and 1,260 articles, is slated to take effect on January 1, 2021.
For the most part, the new civil code is an amalgamation of existing laws, but it also contains new language that could make significant differences in Chinese people’s lives.
Here are three key takeaways worth highlighting from the legislation:
- China wants more babies and fewer divorces.
- The law aims to protect individuals’ “rights to reside” — in other words, to not get kicked out of their house.
- The government has recognized the problem of sexual harassment and abuse.
There’s more on The China Project about the civil code, or see our two reports on proposals at the Two Sessions that sparked public debate.
