File photo: China Daily

The Beijing health authority said on Thursday that in addition to the 30 days of maternity leave that mothers of a third child were awarded at the end of May, they can apply for one to three months of additional leave if their workplace agrees, while their spouses will be eligible for 15 days of paternity leave.

Mothers of a third child in Beijing were granted 30 days of maternity leave after May 31, in addition to their national-level benefit, as an incentive to encourage larger families.

Until now, mothers in Beijing got three to four months of maternity leave as a basic standard, depending on the difficulty of delivery or other conditions.

China allowed all couples to have a third child starting in June in response to the nation's flagging fertility rates. Sichuan and Jiangxi provinces provide subsidies to couples who have a third child. Beijing is now the third area to encourage family expansion by adding benefits.