Beijingers wanting to get married are due to be able to complete the entire registering process via the Internet, except for receiving marriage certificates, some time this year, say sources with the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau.
China's capital will establish a database which will collect marriage details currently kept in different districts, according to the city's civil affairs department.
At present, people who want to marry or divorce can complete the procedure only after several face-to-face interviews and by registering in person.
The city's current management regulation on marriage is also expected to be revised this year, according to a bureau official.
The new regulation will ask applicants to announce their marriage themselves instead of providing relevant documents from their employers.
Each year around 70,000 to 80,000 couples get married in Beijing and about 7,000 to 8,000 couples seek a divorce.
(People's Daily February 27, 2003)
