China to launch pilot projects in 20 more cities to build a new-era marriage and childbearing culture

China is set to launch pilot projects in 20 additional cities aimed at cultivating a modern marriage and childbearing culture and creating a social environment that supports childbearing, according to a report by the Global Times. The projects, organized by the China Family Planning Association, will be initiated ahead of the International Day of Families, which falls on Monday.

The pilot projects will focus on various tasks, including promoting marriage and childbirth at an appropriate age, encouraging shared parental responsibilities, and combating high prices and outdated customs, as reported by the Global Times. The cities selected for these projects include Guangzhou and Handan in Hebei Province.

Yao Ying, the vice president of the China Family Planning Association, expressed hopes that the pilot regions would implement innovative and proactive measures to foster an environment conducive to childbearing. These initiatives aim to contribute to China’s modernization by supporting the high-quality development of the population.

These projects come at a time when Chinese provinces are implementing a range of measures to encourage couples to have children, such as tax incentives, housing subsidies, and free or subsidized education for families with a third child. Independent demographer He Yafu emphasized the importance of guiding young people towards the concept of marriage and childbirth to counter the decline in birth rates and marriage rates since 2017.

Last year, the China Family Planning Association initiated a pilot project for a new marriage and childbirth culture in 20 cities, including Beijing. In February of this year, the Chinese government released a key policy document pledging to address issues like high “bride prices” and extravagant wedding ceremonies, aiming to strengthen public cultural and ethical standards in rural areas. In response, many provinces, cities, and counties have embraced the call to promote a new-era marriage culture and address related matters.

As part of these efforts to foster a supportive environment for childbearing, civil affairs agencies in several cities announced that they would accept marriage registrations on May 20.