CCTV9英语新闻11月：中国的光棍问题（在线收听）

For more on the search for a mate, if not love, here in China, we are joined in the studio by my colleague Wu Haojun.

Q1: How did the situation come to pass? Why is the quest for love so evasive?

Wu: Well, it’s certainly a very complicated issue. We already have a gender ratio imbalance. By 2020, China is expected to have 24 million more men than women and the stagnating birth rate isn’t helping. Now, as to why, according to a recent survey done by one of China’s largest dating sites Jiayuan.com, the most common reason men gave for remaining single is not understanding how to interact with prospective partners. Basically, they don’t know the art of starting or maintaining a relationship. About 28% thought that their personal condition, that is, factors like height, appearance & financial situation were to blame. Most single women thought having a limited social circle is the biggest hindrance. Basically they’re saying they just don’t have enough opportunities to meet interesting new people, that’s followed by not being able to take the initiative.

Q2: As you mentioned, some men say it boils down to money. Have material considerations always been a huge part in Chinese marriages, or is this something new?

Wu: The way people look at marriage and choose partners has changed a lot. Back in the 1950s, that’s when young people started to choose their own partners after centuries of arranged marriages. The biggest factor then was family background. Not a wealthy family, but rather a hard-working proletariat family that could give you a leg up. By in the early 1970s, young people, especially in towns and cities, began to focus on making life easier. That’s when men needed to have the three big items ready: a watch, a bicycle, and a sewing machine. In the late 1970s, China started "opening to the outside world." And when colleges and universities resumed enrollment, a diploma conferred status. Today with a full- fledged market-economy, the demand for three big items has returned. Only now they’re a house, car and money.