Adults in Shanghai who do not visit their parents frequently will get low credit score
By scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
Singapore
April 15, 2016 7:16am CST
This is the new law passed in Shanghai, and it is causing a lot of debates. This law will take effect in May.
Since 2013, aged parents can sue their adult children for not supporting them financially, and not visiting them frequently.
In Shanghai, the law broadens to affect the credit score of the adults who do not visit their parents frequently.
With a low credit score, they will have problem getting loans, and credit card.
Personally I think the intention is good, but the problem is in enforceability of the law.
If a demanding aged parent sues their children in court, and demands weekly visit, that will be inconvenient to the children, especially those working in another province.
China is too big to govern this way.
On the other hand, the law gives the aged parents the rights to demand their children give them emotional and financial support.
I just wonder if those government officers will get their bonus if their parents sue them for not visiting!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3540066/Chinese-parents-sue-children-don-t-come-visit-them.html
In response to a rapidly aging population, Shanghai policymakers plan to
4 people like this
5 responses
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
15 Apr 16
That seems ridiculous to me - what parent would sue their own child? A law like this would just make the children resentful of their parents - if they don't visit because they love them or from their own sense of duty, there is no point in them going anyway.
2 people like this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
16 Apr 16
wow! I would have thought it is a natural thing to do to care for the aged parents .. But at the same time it's not fair for the children to be forced to support their parents if they can't afford it.. how if the children can't even afford to support themselves?..
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
16 Apr 16
If the children cannot afford to take care of their parents financially, they can tell the court.
I think at the very least, they can call their parents frequently.
It is not right for adult children to ignore the emotional and financial needs of their aged parents.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
16 Apr 16
@epiffanie China is very different, because due to Cultural Revolution, and many years of communism rule, the old people are lowly educated, and they do not have savings.
Since China does not have extensive social security for old people, they have to rely on their children who are making so much more money than those generations before.
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
16 Apr 16
@scheng1 Yes that's how it is with most of the Asian cultures .. The main purpose for them having children is to so they can look after the parents.. I did not bring up my three sons to take care of me although I know that they will be there whenever I would need them in my old age.. But they won't financially be burdened by me .. I took care of that already because I want my children to be free..
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14931)
• Malaysia
15 Apr 16
This sounds quite weird to me. Though I agree with taking care of our parents and supporting them, we should do that with love, but not being forced. I can understand when there's such law applies, there should be some issues over there for the younger generation to support their aged parents. I just feel sad for seeing such law.
If the parent never took care of the children or loved them, are the children still being forced to support the parents financially and visit them always?
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
16 Apr 16
Being forced is still better than not taking any action to ensure the well-being of the old people.
If the government does not take action now, it will have many social problems in the future.
The government will have to find ways to support the old people, and forcing the children to support them is one method.
1 person likes this
@youless (112497)
• Guangzhou, China
16 Apr 16
I also think that this intention is good, but if it is a law, then it is not practical and workable. And it should not be a law. It is better to be the suggestion only. In fact I think many children want to treat their parents well. However, sometimes it is hard to do in the reality. For example, if their parents live in another city and the children have to work in Shanghai. Then the children have to make a living and they work so hard and hardly have time to go back to see their parents. As they don't have many days off work and also the traffic cost can be expensive. So it is wrong to just blame the children. The company should be blamed, too. And so should the government.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
17 Apr 16
@youless It is good to have the law to protect the elderly ones.
The elderly ones did not have the opportunity to get educated or to get rich because of years of communism rule and Cultural Revolution.
When the government enforces the law, it forces the children to do at least their duty.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
17 Apr 16
Actually I think it will work.
Even if the children cannot go back to visit their parents, they can prove that they have sent money back, and they can prove that they call their parents often.
If the government really wants to implement this, they can do it through the banks.
An easy way is for the bank to call the aged parents to check if their children call them, visit them or send money to them.
Once banks have the documentation proof, then they can approve the loan.
1 person likes this
