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Chinese couples asked to take divorce exam
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)China Divorce Test - Level 4
China is looking at a new way of reducing divorce rates. Officials want couples who file for divorce to take an exam to find out how strong their marriage is and whether it can be saved. Up to half of marriages between those born in the 1980s have got divorced. The rising divorce rate is because more women are working. They are financially independent and less in need of a partner. The rise of dating apps means there are more extramarital affairs.
The divorce test has had a mixed reaction. One official said it was aimed at stopping "impulsive divorces". She said the harmony of the family could "achieve the harmony of an entire society". Internet users were less enthusiastic about the 15-question test. One post asked: "If you remember your wedding anniversary you can't divorce? Divorce isn't a case of amnesia." Another wrote: "They are adults and they have the right to divorce."
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China Divorce Test - Level 5
China is looking at a new way of stopping the country's increasing divorce rate. Couples who file for divorce are being asked to take an exam to find out how much they love each other and whether the marriage can be saved. Up to half of Chinese marriages between those born in the 1980s have ended in divorce. People say the rising divorce rate is because of there being more working women. They are more financially independent and less in need of a partner. The rise of social media and dating apps has added to the problem. Now there are more extramarital affairs.
The divorce test has had a mixed reaction. A marriage-registration office said the test was aimed at reducing the divorce rate and preventing "impulsive divorces". It said: "Only the harmony of millions of family units can achieve the harmony of an entire society." Other Chinese people were less enthusiastic about the 15-question test. One post on social media asked: "So if you remember your wedding anniversary you can't divorce? Divorce isn't a case of amnesia." Another wrote: "They are adults and they have the right to divorce. This is interference in domestic affairs."
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China Divorce Test - Level 6
Authorities in China are looking at a new way of halting the country's increasing divorce rate. In parts of China, couples who file for divorce are being asked to take an exam to ascertain how much they still might love each other and whether or not their marriage can be salvaged. Up to half of all Chinese marriages between those who were born in the 1980s have ended in divorce. China's rising divorce rate has been attributed to the increased empowerment of working women, who are more financially independent and less reliant on a partner. Media sources say the rise of social media and dating apps are adding to the problem, as there are increasing numbers of extramarital affairs.
The divorce tests have had a mixed reaction in China. Liu Chunling, the director of a marriage-registration office, told reporters that the test was aimed at reducing the divorce rate and preventing "impulsive divorces". She said: "Only the harmony of millions of family units can achieve the harmony of an entire society." Chinese Internet users were less enthusiastic about the 15-question test being used to determine a couple's love for each other. One post on the Weibo social media site asked: "So if you remember your wedding anniversary you can't divorce? Divorce isn't a case of amnesia." Another wrote: "They are adults and they have the right to divorce. This is interference in domestic affairs."
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