Saying 'No' to Overly Dependent Adult Kids

A new provincial regulation that gives parents the legal right to refuse financial support to their able-bodied adult children has sparked controversy in Chinese media. 　　
　　
In effect since December 1 last year, the Hebei Province regulation aims to protect the elderly from extraneous financial pressures placed on them by children who should otherwise be financially independent.　

However, the Beijing Youth Daily countered in a recent article that said the legislation does not prevent NEET from receiving financial support, but rather stipulates that parents are not obligated to provide it. 　　
　　
“Giving parents the right to say ‘no’ and ‘making it illegal to live off your parents’ may appear like the same thing, but in reality they are very different,” the paper argued. 　　

While the article did not explore to what extent the NEET group are burdening China’s older generations, it argued the regulation’s greater purpose was to provide moral guidance. It drew a comparison to a similar "Elderly Rights Law" passed in 2013 that required grown children to visit their elderly parents or face fines.  　　
　　
“Living off parents is a legal issue, but more a moral issue,” the article read.　

This is not the first time a provincial government has targeted this issue. In 2011, Jiangsu Province passed a similar regulation, followed by Jilin, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces. They were all met with the similar outcry, according to the article.