China is considering banning divorces in order to protect young children.

The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, which is actually a non-Communist political party in China unaffiliated with its Taiwanese counterpart, intends to submit a draft proposal aimed at reducing divorce rates across China, particularly among those couples with young children. The proposal, which is being made to “protect the rights of the children”, is expected to be raised during this week’s National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

The move comes amid skyrocketing divorce rates across China. From 2002 to 2013, marriage rates increased 71 percent while divorce rates increased 197 percent.

Given these statistics, the Kuomintang has proposed that the procedure to obtain a divorce be lengthened in order to give applicants more time to reconsider their actions, particularly where children are involved. While the proposal is still being revised and has not been submitted yet, one of the more controversial proposals has already been withdrawn.

Initially, the proposed language sought to ban divorce for parents with children under the age of ten:

At the same time as protecting the freedoms of marriage, so too do the rights of underage children need to be protected. The proposal calls for applicants with children under the age of ten to be unsuitable for any grounds of divorce, while ensuring applicants with children over the age of ten fully reveal their intentions to their children.

After the public caught wind of the proposed language, the section was revised. It currently reads:

At the same time as protecting the freedoms of marriage, so too do the rights of underage children need to be protected. For those that have underage children, applicants for divorce need to fully reveal their intentions to their children.

Whether the proposal will be put forward is still up for debate. However, even if the proposal is formally introduced, what is perhaps more debatable, is whether or not it would actually reduce divorce rates.