Civil affairs bureaus draw ire for suspending divorce services

Civil affairs bureaus in two different places in China retracted their previous announcements that they would stop accepting divorce registrations on May 20, a date considered auspicious for weddings, after the decisions backfired.

Pingjiang County in central China’s Hunan Province said it would resume divorce registrations and add staff to handle the increase in marriage applications on May 20, which in Chinese sounds similar to “I love you,” making it one of the most sought-after days to tie the knot, it said in a statement on May 17.

It issued a notice on May 10 saying it would suspend divorce registrations to avoid “over-crowding” in light of the pandemic.

Coincidentally, the civil affairs bureau in the city of Kaili in Guizhou Province had made a similar arrangement, which it later also retracted by saying it would extend working hours to meet the increasing demand while keeping the divorce service open.

Both bureaus apologized for their inconsideration and vowed to improve services.

Their previous announcements triggered huge controversies on social media, with netizens questioning why government agencies would prioritize wedding requests while ignoring divorce registrations on a normal working day.