Buried under a mountain of responsibilities, Owen Cao, a first-year graduate student at a university in northern China, finds himself juggling research, coursework, study sessions, tasks assigned by his supervisor, student club activities and his personal hobbies.
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Amid all those commitments, the 22-year-old ocean engineering student finds little to no time for dating.
He said he was fine with being single “right now” and was not actively looking for a relationship, “but if I meet the right person, I’d be open to giving it a try”.
Cao and his three like-minded dorm-mates reflect a growing trend among young Chinese – an increasing reluctance to pursue dating that is compounded by busy schedules or, conversely, a rising level of comfort with being single.
The phenomenon, which could exacerbate the country’s already low marriage and birth rates, has rung alarm bells among academics and policy advisers.
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An article published recently in China Population News, a newspaper affiliated with the National Health Commission, called on universities to “play a leading role in marriage and relationship education” and make related courses elective options.
The article sparked a heated online debate about whether the government planned to interfere in young people’s dating choices in the face of the country’s worsening demographic crisis.