Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group in Inan County Demands Resignation
"Must Marry and Have Children to Contribute to Society"
All Regulations in Controversial Notice Abolished in China
A company in Shandong Province, China, announced that it would require unmarried employees to resign if they do not get married by September this year. The company later withdrew the announcement after receiving correction demands from authorities.
On the 17th, Yonhap News cited China News Network and the U.S. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reporting that Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group (山東舜天化工集團) in Inan County recently issued an internal notice.
The group announced, "Unmarried employees aged 28 to 58 (including divorced individuals) must start a family and have children within the deadline to educate the pillars of the nation and contribute to society." It added, "It is filial piety (孝) for all employees to work hard, establish a family, and reassure their relatives," and demanded, "Resolve your personal marriage issues by September 30, 2025."
The notice also stated that failure to marry would be considered a problem. The group said, "If you are not married by the first quarter, you must submit a letter of reflection; if not by the second quarter, the company will conduct a review; and if the requirements are not fulfilled by the third quarter, the company will terminate the employment contract."
Chinese couples having wedding photoshoots in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. Reuters · Yonhap News
The content of the notice spread online and became a controversy in China, even ranking high on Weibo's real-time search list. Eventually, the group reportedly discarded all regulations in the notice after receiving a correction order from the Inan County Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.
The group stated, "The original intention was to encourage unmarried employees to devote a certain amount of time and effort to major life events," and added, "We will strengthen internal management to prevent such incidents from happening again."
Meanwhile, China has been implementing marriage and childbirth promotion policies to address the population decline issue, but the number of marriage registrations dropped by more than 20% last year, reaching the lowest level in 44 years. According to the '2024 Fourth Quarter Civil Affairs Statistical Data' released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on the 8th, 6.106 million couples registered their marriages nationwide last year. This is a sharp decrease of 20.5% (1.574 million cases) from 7.68 million marriage registrations the previous year. It is reported that last year's marriage registration number was the lowest since the marriage law revision in 1980, when related statistics began to be compiled.
Subsequently, Chinese authorities have introduced various childbirth support measures and urged universities to offer courses related to dating and marriage to respond to the trends of low birth rates and aging population. However, the fundamental situation, including the decline in the fertile population and young people's reluctance toward marriage and childbirth, remains unchanged.
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