The new Chinese Elderly Protection Law came into effect recently, sparking hot debate in China regarding a clause that demands those who live apart from their parents to visit them more often or regularly contact them.

Should filial piety, considered a moral issue and a key virtue within traditional Chinese culture, be regulated by law? CRI's Xu Fei takes a closer look.

Reporter: Family members should care about the psychological needs of their elderly relatives, and visit them or send greetings on a regular basis.

That is according to Clause 18 of the newly-amended Chinese Elderly Protection Law which took effect on Monday. And it appears to be good news for Yang Liuzhen who now lives in a senior care center in south China's Guangdong Province.

"I'm their grandma, not their mother. Coming to see me is usually difficult for them. They only have one day off per week. And also they have other relatives and friends."

38-year old Gao Shan, an editor at the Beijing-based publishing house Law Press China, said he visits his parents once a week. For those who don't visit their elderly parents, Gao Shan thinks the new clause fails to specify punishments accordingly.

"It's unclear what the punishment will be for those who do not adhere to the clause of the amended law? The law requires children to regularly visit their aging parents, but how about if they fail to do this? Without this, the clause becomes impractical and unable to direct our life."

However, according to Li Jianfei, a professor with the Law College of China's prestigious Renmin University, even if the law is ambiguous, the fact that the government is using the law to force people to fulfill their filial duties is worthwhile as young Chinese people become busier and as a result show less concern for their ageing parents.

"If they argue the new law is ambiguous, I think many other laws have the same problem of being impractical in a real situation. Despite that, I think the amended law that requires children to regularly visit their aging parents is highly necessary. The recent debate on this subject is powerful proof that the law is reasonable."

Since the law took effect, some people have commented that the regulations reflect a deteriorating sense of morality among Chinese people.

The new law makes it clear in clause 26 that senior citizens must choose their own guardians should they lose the capacity to care for themselves. Those who are duty-bound to look after ageing parents are legally obliged to take care of them in such a situation. Professor Li Jianfei thinks this clause is strictly necessary.

"These years we've been informed of many cases across the nation whereby senior citizens have been found dead in their homes a long time after they passed away. Organizing guardianship of the elderly is a prominent problem that needs to be solved straightway. It holds the same importance as the issue of visitation in that they are in need of more concern in order to safeguard their wellbeing."

Meanwhile, some people argue that the law only adds to the pressure that people across China already face. One Weibo user said that most children want to visit their parents, but they don't have the time and often have to make a living in other cities.

Song Ruliang, director of a law-governance research center based in Guangdong, believes if work places pose an obstacle for children visiting their parents, relevant authorities have the right to intervene.

"If children cannot go back to visit their parents because their work-places don't offer them days off according to law, I think relevant supervisory departments and the organs that are devoted to protecting senior citizens' rights and interests should intervene. They might demand that those work places improve the situation."

A major challenge facing the country in taking care of its elderly population comes as a result of the rapidly aging society. Gao Shan points out that social change in China makes it difficult for Chinese people to revert back to a pure and harmonious sense of Chinese tradition.

"As a new law is enacted, it would definitely arouse a lot of social concern. Building a new law to restore China's traditional ethics and values highlights the importance of family, but it is very difficult to promote this at a time when society changes rapidly. I base my opinion on the breakup of the family unit."

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the number of people aged 60 or older in China reached 185 million by the end of 2011, accounting for 13.7 percent of the population, and that number will exceed 200 million this year.

 (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)