From January 1st, 2009, South China's Guangdong Province will implement a revised set of laws to protect minors.

The legislation articulates penalties for parents found guilty of neglecting their children.

The revision also holds the parent responsible if the child spends the night away from home without their knowledge.

The Beijing News notes it will now be considered a criminal offence for parents to neglect minors or endanger their safety.

However, the article says the legislation only emphasises the responsibility of the family, not the government. Since parents will naturally seek to keep their children away from danger, it is more important to clarify the legal responsibilities of governments in this regard.

The article pointed to the severe damage to school buildings as a result of the deadly Sichuan earthquake as examples of the government failing in its responsibility to protect minors.

It concludes that legislation to protect China's young should place more stress on the responsibilities of the government, so that children enjoy quality care from their parents AND the state.