Divorce in the People's Republic of China: Analysis of a new law

Divorce has become increasingly common in the People's Republic of China, despite traditional disapproval and prohibitions. A new marriage law that makes divorce easier than it was in the past, and that mandates mediation of disputes was recently promulgated in China. This paper reports and analyzes the articles of the new law that regulate divorce, mediation, custody and support of children, spousal support, and property rights and settlements in terms of Chinese traditions, contemporary context, and implications for the future.An early version of this paper was presented at the National Council on Family Relations, St. Paul, October 12, 1983. This work was supported in part by the Hawaii Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Journal Series No. 2802.