allowed officials to reject marriages that were found to be forced, such as human trafficking, children and infants, and those forced by patriarchs. The couple who married would be the only authorized party to register. The system would help build a new expectation for Marriages, by allowing citizens to play a role in setting healthy standards and helping to build a new society that would be very different from the past. Impact China's divorce rate, though lower than in the Western countries, is increasing. Chinese women also have increased financial importance in the household. There is historical debate over the effectiveness of the New Marriage Law in terms of the state's commitment to the policy, and therefore its success. Second Marriage Law The New Marriage Law was updated in 1980 by the Second Marriage Law, which liberalized divorce, bolstered the one-child policy, and instructed the courts to favor the interests of women and children in property distribution in divorce. Article 28 of the 1980 Marriage Law also formalizes duties from younger generations to older, and from older generations to younger: The let-out clauses in the law ("who can afford it") are applied generously. By applying equally to "grandparents or maternal grandparents," the law also formalizes the rejection of the traditional preference for the paternal grandmother. That traditional cultural preference had disintegrated following the Communist success in the Chinese civil war. Further updates in 1983 formalized the legal procedure for marriages between Chinese citizens and foreigner nationals. The Second Marriage Law was also amended in 2001 to outlaw married persons' cohabitation with a third party, aimed at curbing a resurgence of concubinage in big cities. See also All-China Women's Federation Globalization and women in China Women in the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China Marriage Certificate References External links China Divorce and Separation: The Basics (Article) Marriage Law of the People’s Republic of China (1980) [English Translation] Women's rights in Asia Social change Campaigns of the Chinese Communist Party Marriage, unions and partnerships in China Laws of China 1950 in law 1950 in China