In recent years, the once private and intimate matter of whether a child is biologically related to their parents has been increasingly brought into the public eye in mainland China, thanks to the widespread use of DNA paternity testing. Cases of children being found to be “non-biological” have been capturing public attention, with instances like the recent one in Shaanxi where a couple discovered after 8 years of marriage and having three children that the children were not biologically related to the father, and in Guangxi where a grandfather found out that his deceased son’s son was not biologically related to him, sparking sympathy from the public towards the victims.
These family tragedies have brought to light the hidden issue within marriage and family relationships, raising questions and concerns about biological parentage that were previously kept behind closed doors.
In September of this year, a tragic story of a man from Shandong circulated widely on Chinese social media platforms. After spending 17 years working hard at sea to provide for his son whom he raised single-handedly and considered his greatest treasure in life, he received a DNA paternity test report revealing that the child was not his biological offspring. Overwhelmed by the enormous emotional blow, he tragically chose to end his own life.
This case is not isolated. A report by “The Paper” on September 24th found 93 relevant court judgments in the legal information database related to “deceived upbringing,” indicating that such family tragedies are more common than imagined, although many do not make it to social media.
In August of this year, a case in Bobai County, Guangxi, garnered attention. After a man passed away in a traffic accident, his parents suspected that their 8-year-old grandson was not biologically related to their late son. Subsequent paternity tests for both the grandfather-grandson and father-son relationships revealed no biological connection between the child and their deceased son.
The elderly couple then took their daughter-in-law and grandson to court, seeking confirmation of the non-existence of a biological parent-child relationship and claiming more than 360,000 yuan in compensation for years of childcare expenses and mental distress. However, due to procedural flaws in the testing and questions about the elderly couple’s legal standing to deny the parent-child relationship, the courts did not rule in their favor in both the first and second instance. The case is currently undergoing a retrial process.
A simple DNA test result may not only alter a child’s identity but also redefine over a decade of familial relationships. The crux of this issue isn’t merely questioning “who is the real parent of this child” but delves deeper into a growing societal concern: why an increasing number of people, especially young men, are opting to confirm the biological parentage of their children through DNA testing?
Paternity testing is not a novel concept. In the past, judicial paternity tests were primarily associated with household registration, immigration, and litigation affairs, while private paternity testing for personal privacy reasons has emerged as a separate demand – where individuals seek answers to the question: is this child truly mine?
An individual who worked in paternity testing in a county had indicated in a 2024 media interview that there was a significant proportion of private paternity testing within their organization’s business; predominantly male clients, mostly born in the 80s and 90s, sought these services.
In some major cities in China like Shanghai and Shenzhen, media reports and industry insiders have noted that individuals born in the 90s have become crucial clientele for paternity testing services, with an increasing number of tests being conducted compared to the past.
Back around 2019, paternity testing institutions in Nanjing mentioned that applicants, mainly from the 80s and 90s cohorts with individuals around the age of 30 being the majority, were predominately male. The personnel in these institutions noted that some men would directly bring their children for testing, with the female side often being unaware.
While these trends do not necessarily imply that “all individuals born in the 90s are undergoing paternity testing,” it does underscore that the young generation has become a significant client group for personal paternity testing in certain regions and facilities.
Moreover, the reasons behind the surge in demand for paternity testing stem beyond marital infidelity. Some opt for paternity tests for household registration, judicial requirements, confirming paternity, or even due to suspicions of the child “not resembling them,” eventually leading them to testing facilities.
In essence, a single DNA report could signify an administrative procedure or unveil a crisis in family trust.
Previously, determining a child’s parentage relied largely on the stability of marriage and the spouse’s loyalty. During the subsistence of a marital relationship, a husband would typically assume paternity upon a child’s birth.
However, with the advent of DNA technology, verifying biological relationships has become a swift and accurate matter. This advancement has altered the psyche of many individuals. A child not resembling oneself, previously interpreted as “taking after the mother,” may now prompt questions such as, “why doesn’t the child resemble me?”
A passing statement from a relative, an observation from a friend, unusual behavior from a spouse, or even suspicions within a marriage could serve as triggers for pursuing paternity testing.
Some personnel from testing facilities had previously mentioned during interviews with mainland media that male doubts regarding a child’s paternity were among the primary reasons for private paternity testing. Earlier media reports had also highlighted suspicions of infidelity as a significant motivator for paternity testing in some facilities. People increasingly opt for tangible evidence beyond trust alone to confirm biological ties.
Behind the fervor for paternity testing lies a topic that cannot be overlooked: marital loyalty.
Early reports on paternity testing have linked extramarital affairs, one-night stands, extramarital pregnancies, and similar phenomena with disputes over parental relationships. Such reports suggest that marital instability and extramarital relations underline a portion of the demand for paternity testing.
Observations from grassroots practitioners in the field echo similar sentiments.
In 2024, an entry-level paternity tester in a county, in an interview, remarked that some of their clients hailed from mining families; extended periods of separation due to work often led to rifts in relationships within these families. The practitioner also highlighted that their clientele mainly comprised men.
While such observations can speak to the customer landscape of specific regions and facilities, they do not serve as a basis for inferring the prevalence of extramarital affairs in Chinese society entirely. However, one aspect remains unmistakably clear: when doubts cast shadows over marital fidelity, DNA technology offers an unprecedented tool for definitive verification.
Previously, doubts might have lingered perpetually as mere suspicions. Today, a single testing report could transform uncertainty into resolute answers.
This facet of the paternity testing issue is perhaps the most significant one warranting discussion.
For a man to discover that the child is not biologically his, the loss is not solely pertaining to a fractured marriage. The realization might dawn on him that the years, even decades, invested in emotions, time, finances, and assuming a fatherly role were based on an erroneous understanding of biological ties.
Why does this revelation hit men particularly hard? Primarily due to the uncertainty surrounding their procreative identity.
Pregnancy and childbirth are natural biological processes directly verifiable for women; however, men lack a direct means to ascertain if the child is conceived from their sperm. Consequently, for men, confirming fatherhood requires either relying on spousal loyalty or resorting to DNA technology.
Furthermore, there’s the extended cost of nurturing.
Raising a child from birth to adulthood entails investments spanning over a decade or even two.
Housing, education, healthcare, day-to-day expenses, along with substantial time and emotional commitments, form the bedrock for a man to affirm, “this is my child.”
The poignant realization that a biological tie does not exist after numerous years incites in many men not merely a feeling of being deceived but an inescapable reality— that, “I poured my life into a relationship that doesn’t have a biological foundation.”
Instances of such cases indeed exist in China’s judicial practice. For example, in Zhengzhou, a man discovered his wife engaging in an extramarital affair, prompting him to conduct a paternity test on his son, which concluded the absence of a father-son relationship. Ultimately, the court ruled for divorce and acknowledged that the wife’s actions had caused economic and mental distress to the husband, ordering her to return a portion of childcare and medical expenses, along with paying compensation for emotional distress.
In August, a highly publicized case of a couple divorcing after discovering that all three daughters born during their 8-year marriage were not biologically related to the husband unfolded in Hanzhong, Shaanxi. The court’s judgment is pending.
The couple, married for 8 years, revealed that the husband discovered the lack of genetic ties to all three daughters and sought a divorce. The wife declared in court that she was aware of the children not being biologically related before the case arose.
Following the court proceedings, the husband informed “China News Weekly,” that both he and his wife agreed to dissolve their marriage, with the children being raised by the wife. However, significant differences existed regarding economic compensations.
Lastly, legal and property ties pose another dimension to the realm of paternity testing.
Fatherhood isn’t merely an emotional attribution. It might encompass duties of upbringing, inheritance rights, and post-divorce financial and familial responsibilities. Hence, for some men, paternity testing essentially scrutinizes a pragmatic concern: whether they are obliged to bear the responsibility of nurturing the child for decades.
However, an aspect easily overlooked amidst paternity testing discussions is the child.
Adults can choose to marry or divorce; to be unfaithful or to opt for DNA testing.
Contrastingly, children lack the agency to choose their parents and cannot determine the circumstances under which they are born into a marital relationship.
In 2014, a tragic case unfolded in Wuhan due to suspicions of a child not being biologically related, resulting from a man named Chu doubting his wife’s fidelity since the child did not resemble him. The ensuing doubts sparked several arguments between Chu and his wife, leading to multiple altercations.
Following the incident, law enforcement entities enlisted related agencies for paternity testing, confirming that the child was indeed Chu’s biological son. Upon receiving this reaffirmation, Chu wept in court, knowing that the damage caused earlier was irreparable.