35 million men without wives, China debates 'bride import'

According to SCMP , a scholar at a prestigious university in China proposed promoting international marriage as a solution for the nearly 35 million unmarried men in the country, causing a backlash on social media.

China debates idea of "importing brides" to solve problem of 35 million single men. (Photo: Shutterstock)

China's 2020 Seventh National Population Census found that the demographic challenge stems from decades of China's one-child policy, which skewed the sex ratio and resulted in a surplus of 34.9 million men over women.

A report earlier this year from the Institute of Rural China Studies at Central China Normal University detailed the increasing difficulties rural young people have faced in finding partners over the past decade.

The report said the main reasons were high bride prices and strict recognition of traditional marriages (including recognition of customs, rituals, and rules of a particular community or culture in marriage).

Associate Professor Ding Changfa at Xiamen University recommends facilitating international marriages and "importing foreign brides."

Mr. Ding suggested that Chinese men could consider marrying women from Russia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Pakistan.

“In rural China, there are about 34.9 million single men who may face marriage pressure such as requirements to own a house, a car or a dowry, totaling about 500,000 - 600,000 yuan (1.78 - 2.13 billion VND).

Last year, the average disposable income per capita in rural areas across China was just over 20,000 yuan (US$3,000). To solve this problem, we can consider attracting a large number of qualified young women from abroad, ” said Mr. Ding.

The associate professor's statement caused a backlash on Chinese social networks.

Many Chinese women say “importing” foreign brides is akin to human trafficking, while others fear language barriers could lead to family conflicts.

However, many men support the idea. They believe that foreign brides have lower expectations, do not require houses, cars or high dowry, and that foreign women are considered hardworking and virtuous.

One netizen commented: “Opening up international marriage is like letting Tesla enter the Chinese market, stirring up domestic competition, improving quality and lowering prices for consumers.

Similarly, international marriage allows foreign men and women to enter China's open market and compete, which can increase marriage opportunities and boost birth rates.”

Rural Chinese men face a lot of pressure to find a partner because of demands for housing, cars and dowry. (Photo: Shutterstock)

International marriage is increasingly popular among Chinese men.

On Douyin, some professional matchmakers have started offering China-Russia matchmaking services, targeting the demographic gap between the two countries. Russia has a large female population and China has a large male population.

“Southeast Asia has maintained close ties with China since ancient times, and we have many similarities culturally. Therefore, women in Southeast Asia do not experience much culture shock when they come to China,” said Jingongzi, a financial influencer with more than 1.8 million followers on Douyin.

Moreover, the growing cooperation between China and Southeast Asia has promoted the learning of Mandarin in regional countries, which will eliminate language barriers.”

Hua Yu (Source: SCMP)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/35-trieu-dan-ong-e-vo-trung-quoc-tranh-cai-viec-nhap-khau-co-dau-ar902961.html