Love on the rocks: Inside China's marriage counselling boom

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SHANGHAI: From a small office in Shanghai, marriage counsellor Zhu Shenyong livestreams advice over several phones simultaneously to an attentive ...

A couple hugs as they stand among heart-shaped balloons in Beijing on Feb 14, 2021. SHANGHAI: From a small office in Shanghai, marriage counsellor Zhu Shenyong livestreams advice over several phones simultaneously to an attentive audience keen to save their relationships.

After decades of the"one-child policy", China faces a stark gender imbalance with 30 million more men than women. Coupled with rock-bottom birth rates, a demographic crisis is looming on the horizon.Family pressure to wed early, the competitive grind of urban life, skyrocketing house prices, inadequate childcare and career support for mothers: All these are fraying marriages, especially among a younger generation who prioritise personal freedom.

The aim was to prevent impulsive divorces, but rights advocates fear it is trapping women in abusive marriages as it can be extended indefinitely if one side refuses to agree. Family pressure to wed early, the competitive grind of urban life, skyrocketing house prices and inadequate career support for mothers are all fraying marriages. The other method, divorce by court litigation, usually takes one to two years, said Beijing marriage lawyer Yi Yi, with significantly higher costs.

It was granted by a Shanghai court last summer after a year of pandemic-related delays, ending a three-year marriage which he says failed due to interference from in-laws.Wallace is among a growing cohort of Chinese millennials disillusioned with marriage - and of the government push to encourage it.Pressures persist - especially on Chinese women - to marry young and have children.

Wallace now likens marriage to a risky bet."If you know there is a 50 per cent chance of failure, would you still want to speculate?" he said.

 

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