"常回家看看"或同信用挂钩

 The local regulation is set to take effect on May 1st.

The language in it requires adults to fulfill¹ their duties to their parents, as well as provide them with economic and spiritual support, and quote - "come back home often."

The new regulations will enable elderly people in Shanghai to file a lawsuit², forcing their children to visit them.

Those found violating the court-ordered visits could see their credit rating take a hit.

常回家看看或同信用挂钩

Shi Kai, with Shanghai's Municipal People's Congress, says the new rules should be able to do what previous ones couldn't.

"We used to lack detailed³ and feasible punishments for those failing to take good care of their parents. This was a loophole in the laws and it's what the new regulation is trying to fix."

Lawyer Yue Cheng says he believes the new regulations do clarify things.

"With the law in hand, it will be easier than before for the elderly to sue their offspring for failing to support them financially or attend to them regularly."

The changes to the regulations in Shanghai are drawing mixed reactions.

"Most working people lead a strenuous⁴ life, having to look after not only their parents, but also their kids."

"My child is usually busy. It's OK as long as he kept us parents in mind. We should not blame young people simply for their seldom visits to us."

Professor Lu Jiehua with Peking University says he believes is more a question of morals than laws.

"As an old saying goes, law makes morality visible. It's more important to make people more aware of their moral responsibility towards their parents than simply make it legally compulsory⁵ for them to provide support and regular visits."

Local authorities in Shanghai have not detailed how much a person's credit rating might be affected⁶ if they don't visit their parents enough.

The regulations also don't include specifics of how often is "often" when it comes to people visiting their parents.

China's central authorities amended⁷ the national laws on protecting elderly people's rights and interests in July 2013, for the first time making it compulsory for children to visit their parents regularly.

Local regulations have also been established in the provinces of Jiangsu and Guangdong, as well as in Beijing, requiring children to "come back home often."

For CRI, this is Fei Fei.

1 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

4 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

5 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。