Probably for the best, that? I mean they'd keep to themselves instead of go around displaying and spreading it further.

@l4dybug: "dare say that directly to their "puny" faces?"

Well, what do we say to the God of Death?

The marital typhoon may not be so noticeable in countries where both the divorce rates and the societal acceptance of divorces is at another level than in China, and has been for a while. Nothing to add to those by a puny virus.

@l4dybug: "Apparently divorce registrations surged"

It would be interesting to delve deeper into those figures, but I can continue on my theory anyway.

Could it be that many of those divorcing couples either already had children, or were unhappy of their present spouse to have one with (or at all)?

I can imagine that having both parents (and possibly grands also) at home, could raise debates about child rearing when neither parent has obligations outside home to justify not taking part in such at home - or observing any other realities of stayhome parenthood.

Either way, I'd expect these divorcees to move on, and (at least one of the former couple) soon enough find a more ideal candidate to make offspring with.

I recognize that in the hypothetical situation that I was to divorce, a likely candidate (knowing myself) for new relationship would come with expectation to have a child with - while otherwise a second child is not something we are planning.

So yeah, divorces could have been expected, but it doesn't necessarily mean less children in the big picture.

I fail to even see what this new draft proposes to change.

"Foreigners with internationally acknowledged achievements"

"Foreigners who have made outstanding contributions"

"Talented foreigners in urgent demand"

"foreigners whose investment in China is at least 10 million"

"spouses of Chinese citizens"

All this sounds the same as before.

Which, in my mind, raises suspicion that this is just a show to give the public a chance to voice their opinions in things that don't even matter, as opposed to allowing it in politically sensitive issues that would matter.

Rings a bell with some government-authorized street protests against building chemical plants in middle of Chinese cities. Smoke and mirrors.