A newlywed couple poses for a photo after receiving their marriage certificate at the marriage registration office in Wuhu, East China's Anhui Province, on August 29, 2025. The day is also the Qixi Festival or Chinese Valentine's Day.

China's nationwide cross-regional marriage registration service had enabled more than 330,000 couples in tying the knot by the end of September since its start in May this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced at a press conference on Monday, according to CCTV News.

The new measure, which took effect on May 10 this year allowing couples in the country to register their marriage at any eligible registry office, regardless of where their household registration is located.
 
Couples now need only present their identification cards to get registered, eliminating the long-standing requirement for household registration books.
 
The measure aims to meet the needs of people who live or work away from their registered hometowns, particularly younger generations. Previously, couples had to return to their hukou location for marriage registration, which created travel and financial burdens, Xinhua reported.

According to the press conference held by Ministry of Civil Affairs on Monday, by the end of September, China's average minimum living allowance standards stood at 828 yuan ($116) per person per month in urban areas and 616 yuan in rural areas. The annual basic living standards for urban and rural extremely needy individuals were 14,094 yuan and 10,696 yuan per person per year, according to the ministry. 

Between January and September, authorities provided emergency subsidies to 3.72 million people and issued temporary subsidies to 15.64 million, CCTV reported.

On child welfare, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has guided local governments to expand mental-health care services for children in need. Together with the Ministry of Finance, it has continued a pilot program to "strengthen care services for children in need," allocating 200 million yuan in special funds over two years.

Global Times