China eases marriage rules to encourage more couples to say 'I do'

Newlyweds Ma Yuxuan and Cai Yang posing for a photo on a wedding bus in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province on Dec 9, 2023. - Xinhua

BEIJING: China has revised its marriage registration rules, reducing paperwork and giving couples more flexibility to choose where to register their union, as part of a wider push to encourage more young people to tie the knot.

The new regulations, the first revision since the marriage registration ordinance was enacted in 2003, will take effect on May 10, 2025.