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Opinion | Why ordinary Chinese oppose lowering the legal marriage age to 18
Getting married is hardly on the minds of young Chinese facing poor job prospects. Creative ideas are welcome, but are they meaningful?
Every few years, when the time comes round for China’s annual political meetings, or “two sessions”, there’s bound to be an adviser who suggests lowering the legal marriage age to 18.
This year, that person is Chen Songxi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). He told the media that China’s marriage age is among the highest in the world, and should be lowered to 18 to “unleash reproductive potential”. The legal age for marriage in China is 22 for men and 20 for women, compared with most developed countries where the legal marriage age is 18.
There’s almost no support for these proposals on the Chinese internet. On Weibo, popular voices said lowering the age would not be meaningful. One post read: “Society should progress in civilisation, not regress to the barbaric era.” Another said: “At 18, you’re not even mature enough to be a parent and it’s hard enough earning a living for yourself. How are you going to raise a child?”
The lawmakers might be taken aback by some of the more vehement comments. To their minds, this is just about bringing China in line with international standards and arresting population decline, a trend that will ultimately hurt the economy.
