Beijing Extends Maternity and Paternity Leave

Beijing authorities announced on Thursday that couples in the capital will enjoy longer maternity and paternity leave.A baby boy was born in Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital on January 6, 2005, becoming the 1,300th million Chinese resident. [Photo: Xinhua]The move comes after a change in the country's family planning policy last year allowing couples to have a second child.According to the city's new population and family planning regulation, mothers in Beijing are entitled to at least 128 days of maternity leave after having their first or second child, 30 days longer than the previous allowance. Maternity leave may be extended to a maximum of seven months, if the organization they work for allows it.Fathers are entitled to a 15-day paternity leave, the regulation said.The regulation also allows re-married couples who already have one child each from their previous marriages to have another child.Last year, China adopted a policy allowing all couples nationwide to have two children. The policy was loosened from the previous version, adopted in 2013, allowing couples to have two children if either parent was an only child.Editor: Gao HuiyingChecker: Liu Yan