Respect for the elderly is a traditional virtue of Chinese citizens. To safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly, China's Constitution and other laws and regulations provide protection. It is illegal not to support the elderly.
 The Constitution stipulates that adult children have the obligation to support their parents. China's Marriage Law also stipulates that children have the obligation to support their parents. When children do not perform their obligation of support, parents who are unable to work or have difficulties in living have the right to ask their children to pay alimony. Children here include legitimate children, illegitimate children and adopted children.
 The main content of support and assistance refers to that under the existing economic and social conditions, children should provide necessary daily necessities and expenses for their parents economically, and respect, care and take care of their parents in life, spirit and emotion. Adult children with financial affordability, regardless of gender, married and unmarried, should try their best to fulfill this obligation according to law when their parents need support until their parents die.
 In order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the dependents, the Marriage Law stipulates that when children do not perform their obligations of support, parents who are unable to work or who have difficulties in living have the right to require their children to pay alimony. Those who refuse to do so may be settled through litigation. If the circumstances are serious enough to constitute a crime, they shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law.
 Article 49 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China
 Marriage, family, mothers and children are protected by the State.
 Both husband and wife have the obligation to practise family planning.
 Parents have the obligation to support and educate their minor children, and adult children have the obligation to support and assist their parents.
 It is forbidden to undermine the freedom of marriage and to maltreat the elderly, women and children.
 Article 21 of the Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China
 Parents have the obligation to support and educate their children. Children have the obligation to support and assist their parents. When parents fail to perform their duty of support, children who are minors or cannot live independently have the right to ask their parents to pay maintenance fees. When children fail to perform their duty of support, parents who are unable to work or have difficulties in living have the right to require their children to pay alimony. Drowning, abandoning and other acts of injuring or injuring infants are prohibited.