Context: In early March 2026, Donald Trump said that a war with Iran would last about four to five weeks. However, he clarified that Washington could wage it for as long as necessary. His goal is to effect a change in the country’s leadership. Citing intelligence reports, U.S. media outlets reported that Russia may be providing Iran with data for missile strikes against U.S. positions and that China may be providing Tehran with financial assistance, as well as missile parts and components.
On March 5, 2026, Ekspertnyi klub show on Belarus Radio’s First National Channel discussed why China is not helping Iran in its conflict with the United States and Israel. When discussing the country’s demographic issues, political scientist Tatiana Solodovnikova said:
“By the way, some provinces in China officially allow women to have multiple husbands. ... At the official level. ... Even within the same family, one woman can be legally married to brothers.”
This is far from reality. The 1980 Marriage Law of China enshrines monogamy as one of the fundamental principles of marriage. Bigamy, or cohabiting with a second partner while married, is illegal. This norm did not emerge in China until the 1950s. Prior to that, polygamy and polyandry were considered common practices in some parts of the country.
In the Tibetan area, it was customary for a woman to have several husbands. It most often involved a woman marrying several brothers from the same family. This practice is called polyandry. However, it was not related to attempts to increase the birth rate; rather, it was caused by living conditions. In the harsh terrain, it was easier to survive and manage a household this way. It would be difficult for a single man to support a family.
Although China’s ethnic autonomous regions are permitted to adjust marriage laws according to local customs, such as lowering the legal marriage age, Tibet banned polygamy and polyandry in 1981. At the same time, marriages that had already been finalized were permitted to remain intact. In other words, these unions may still exist, but they are officially prohibited.