China’s parliament rules out allowing same-sex marriage
- Union of a man and a woman ‘suits our country’s national condition’, says spokesman
- Equality campaigner says gay rights are not a consideration for Chinese policymakers
Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman and that will remain Beijing’s legal position, a parliament spokesman said on Wednesday, ruling out any changes after self-governing Taiwan passed a law to legalise same-sex marriages in May.
Taiwan’s equality bill was passed after years of heated debate that divided the island, which Beijing claims as its own.
There are thriving gay scenes in mainland China’s major cities, but there has been little sign the ruling Communist Party will legalise same-sex unions.
Asked if China would legalise same-sex marriage, Zang Tiewei, spokesman for parliament’s legal affairs commission, said Chinese law only allowed for marriage between one man and one woman.
“This rule suits our country’s national condition and historical and cultural traditions,” Zang said. “As far as I know, the vast majority of countries in the world do not recognise the legalisation of same-sex marriage.”
In recent years, individual mainland legislators have occasionally proposed measures during the annual meeting of the largely rubber-stamp parliament each March to allow same-sex couples to marry, without success.