Information on the official attitudes toward common-law marriages and the children of such marriages, and on whether unmarried couples are forbidden to have children [CHN15207]

The First Secretary of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ottawa provided the following information on the above subjects during a telephone interview on 10 September 1993. Common-law marriages are not recognized and have no legal status in China. There is no reference to common-law marriages in the Chinese marriage law. Although such marriages are not legal, children of common-law marriages are considered "innocent" and are treated like other children. There is no Chinese law forbidding unmarried couples from having children.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference

Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Ottawa. 10 September 1993. Telephone interview with First Secretary.