The civil affairs department of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, has set a quota of dealing with 10 to 15 divorce cases a day, because it wants to give couples more time to ponder over their decision. The move, though controversial, is aimed at preventing couples from ending what is supposed to be a lifelong relationship on impulse, says an article on gmw.cn. Excerpts:

Tearing down 10 temples is not as detrimental as wrecking a family, goes a Chinese saying. The Xi'an civil affairs department has not set a daily quota for divorce cases to interfere with couples' right to get a divorce. It simply wants to give more time to couples to reconcile their differences and realize their mistakes, and thus prevent their impulses from ruining what could have been a happy lifelong bond.

If the rate of broken marriages keeps increasing, it could lead to social instability. And children from broken marriages can suffer permanent psychological damage; for example, a broken home can make a child lose his self-esteem.

So there is no harm in trying to reduce the rate of divorce through justified means. As a matter of fact, the quota has worked. In 2013, Xi'an saw 40 fewer divorces than the previous year. Many couples who failed to get a divorce because of the daily quota did not show up the next day. If the civil affairs department officials handle divorce cases indifferently, hundreds of families that could have been saved would be ruined forever.

The Xi'an civil affairs department is trying to give couples who file for divorce a second chance to ponder whether their decisions were taken on impulse and hence were wrong. Therefore, instead of criticizing the move, people should appreciate it.

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(China Daily 08/20/2014 page9)