Chinese couples in Beijing are now allowed to have two children while female employees can already enjoy longer maternity leave.

Basing on the revised National Law on Population and Family Planning adopted on Jan. 1, the regulation has put an end to the previous policy that mandated most Chinese couples living in the urban areas to only have one child.

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It can be noted as well that the amended regulation provided the right for every female employee in Beijing to enjoy a total of 128 days of maternity leave. This comprises the 98 days mandatory maternity leave as stipulated in the national law, and the additional 30 offered by the Beijing regulation.

In the past, only those female employees who give birth to their first child at the age of not less than 24 can avail of the additional 30 days of maternity leave.

Apart from this, it was also pointed out in the new policy that women employees could also apply for another one to three months of leave should their employers allow them.

According to Beijing Legal Affairs Office chief Liu Zhengang, as shared by China Daily, the public submitted more than 4,100 suggestions relative to the then draft law. Such were presented to the city's top legislature, the Beijing People's Congress, thereafter.

He added that the said move to extend the maternity leave was aimed to "maintain the physical and psychological health of mothers and their babies, considering the burden on the social security fund and employers."

Another feature of the Beijing regulation, which extended the maternity leave for women employees, was the giving of 15 days leave for their husbands after their baby has been born.

TagsBeijing, maternity leave, One Child Policy, National Law on Population and Family Planning