Association denies authorizing 95m yuan Shanxi subsidized marriage program
A national association which provides marriage subsidies to Chinese couples denied that it has authorized a subsidy program in North China’s Shanxi Province, in which the local government would provide 95 million yuan ($15 million) in cash incentives for married couples.
The China Association of Social Workers (CASW) website announcement on Wednesday said the marriage subsidy is a charitable fund, and that the association did not organize the marriage subsidy promotion activity in Taiyuan, capital city of Shanxi Province. The CASW reminded consumers to spend wisely, the announcement said.
Taiyuan is the first pilot city for the CASW’s marriage subsidy fund, and over 1,000 couples have received a subsidy which includes the cost of wedding jewelry, wedding party and wedding photos. This year, the subsidy estimated at 95 million yuan, will cover the whole province, Taiyuan Daily reported Sunday.
The news had been widely circulated online this week, with many netizens saying that the Chinese government is encouraging its citizens to get married because of the declining marriage rate.
The number of marrying-age men in China will reach at least 30 million in 30 years, People’s Daily reported last year.
The government defines late marriage age as 23 for women and 25 for men, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
According to a survey conducted by a dating website in 2017, newlyweds in China spent an average of 40,000 to 80,000 yuan to get married, which included dresses and photos, the Beijing News reported Thursday.