Travel agency offers staff 1b yuan in 'baby bonuses'

China's leading online travel agency Trip.com Group announced on Friday that it will provide 1 billion yuan ($137.74 million) in subsidies to support employees who choose to have more children. As the first Chinese company to introduce such a policy, which conforms with national efforts to encourage childbirth, it has sparked heated discussion among the public about the cost of raising children and the impact on women's careers.

Starting from July 1, both male and female employees who have worked at the company for three years or more will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus of 10,000 yuan per year for each newborn until the child reaches the age of five, the company said.

"Employees are the greatest asset of the company and we are committed to creating a better and more supportive working environment for them," said James Liang, executive chairman of the board of Trip.com Group.