The authoritarian Chinese government recently enforced a law that requires children to visit their elderly parents’ failure to which they will be sued. This has been as a result of the challenges China is facing in providing care for its aging population. So, a warning to the younger generation in China, whoever doesn't keep in touch with their elderly parents or doesn't visit them faces a risk of being sued.

There is not much that this amended law can do regarding the status quo in China because the elderly parents have been suing their adult children for emotional support even before the law was enforced. It has not been specified in the new wording as to how often the children must visit the parents. The penalties for those who do not visit their parents are not also clarified.

Xiao Jinming, a law professor at the University of Shandong is one of the drafters said that the primary aim of the law is to raise awareness of the issue. “Its major aim is to stress the right of the elderly people in asking for emotional support…the existence of such a need, needs to be emphasized,” he said.

Wang Yi, a 57 cleaning lady living alone in Shanghai said that the new law is better than nothing because he get to see her two sons who work several hundred kilometers away in southern Guangdong province only at an annual family reunion.”For sure, that is too little, I think two times a year will work. “She said.” I China the children a raised by their parents so that they can take care of them in return.”

As a result of frequent reports by elderly parents complaining of neglect by their children, China’s legislature amended the law in December. The law says that offspring of parents who are more than 60 years old should make sure that the daily, financial and spiritual needs of their parents are met.

Although in the Chinese society, respect for the elderly is deeply engrained, the breakup of China’s traditional extended family has been accelerated by the three decades of market reforms and there are a few affordable alternatives like retirement homes.

“There were several cases of the elderly suing their parents for emotional support even before the amendment of the Law that protects of Rights and Interests of the Aged.” Xiao said. Usually what happens in such cases, an arrangement is done by the court officials for sons and daughters to come to an agreement to make more frequent visits and no money is involved.

It is feared that the rapid increase in the number of the elderly people poses as a serious threat to the social and economic stability of the country. As the old aged increases so is the number of the working population shrinking and as a result of this the social safety net remains weak.

According to Zhang Ye, a 36 year old lecturer from eastern Jiangsu Province, the law is just unreasonable and puts too much pressure on the people living away from home in search of work and independence.

“It’s just too hard and very expensive for people living abroad to visit their parents back at home.” She said.” I visit my parents often and call them… I doubt if the law will work, if a young person doesn't want to visit the parents.”