Hong Kong husbands will be able to continue their cross-border extramarital affairs even though a law was passed in China yesterday outlawing concubines.
Cheated SAR wives had hoped the law might act as a deterrent to philandering men, but Chinese University social work professor Wong Chack-kie said the legislation might provide only a small amount of protection to Hong Kong women because they might not be able to take their grievances to mainland courts due to cash constraints and limited legal knowledge.
'We have found that most of those whose husbands were having affairs across the border were from lower middle-class families. I wonder if they are equipped with the legal knowledge and have the money to go through all the legal processes.
'Also it may not be easy for them to collect evidence when the adulterous behaviour takes place on the mainland,' Professor Wong said.
But the academic said a revision of the law was 'a big move' by Beijing to protect marital relationships.
Paulina Kwok Chi-ying, team head of the Caritas Family Service's extramarital affairs project, shared Professor Wong's view, saying some Hong Kong women had already expressed concern over whether mainland authorities would step up moves to enforce the new legislation.
