In Shanghai, not visiting your elderly parents may soon ruin your credit score

In response to a rapidly aging population, Shanghai policymakers plan to implement a new law forcing children to visit their lonely parents or suffer the financial consequences.
An ECNS report states that children in Shanghai who do not regularly visit their parents can expect their credit standing to be negatively impacted by their disloyalty. Grandma may not know what gods she’s praying to, but dammit she knows her rights!

The new policy, set to take effect on May 1, allows parents to file lawsuits against children who don’t visit home. After a court ruling, children who continue to neglect their elderly parents can be registered in a credit platform, bearing consequences on their future work and life.

Such laws concerning “spiritual consolation” have been in the works since 1996. This particular law aims to protect the rights of the city’s growing elderly population, requiring children of parents in nursing homes to regularly pay visits. It’s unclear whether this new policy would effect Taobao services that send strangers to visit your parents in your place.

This new policy is part of a movement to improve legal support for the city’s senior population, registered at 4.36 million at the end of 2015. The elderly population of Shanghai is expected to reach 5 million by 2018, surpass 5.4 million by the year 2020, and hit 6 million by 2025, according to data from local authorities.

Just goes to show, you don’t want to mess with old people — especially if they have hammers. Anyway, why would you, they are awesome.

It seems Beijing parents feel somewhat differently towards their offspring. Just last month, this Beijing couple took their daughter to court in order to finally kick her out of the nest. Another couple also had to resort to legal counsel in 2014 to get rid of their “boomerang child.”
By Matthew Patel