Foreign Men with Older Chinese Women: Six Reasons for the Relationship

"If you haven’t married a Chinese man by the time you are 35, you should consider marrying a foreigner." This statement is not a joke. It’s not even entirely groundless. Unmarried Chinese women over the age of 28 are considered by their fellow Chinese to be "leftover women," and those who are particularly picky about choosing a spouse are often met with derision.

However, many foreign men do not share this opinion. For them, 30-year-old Chinese women are just right, and consequently such foreigners are flocking to China en masse to compete for dates with these "leftover women." Many alluring Italian, American, French and Spanish men all bluntly admit to preferring mature women – her personal experience and knowledge of the world, as well as her interests and hobbies. Age is not necessarily so important. Here are six possible reasons, as I see them, why so many foreign men, particularly when discussing American men, take up with Chinese women. 

1) Foreign men believe Chinese women hold traditional values.
Thanks to China’s 5,000-year-long history and the mysteries of its ancient civilizations, foreign men see Chinese women as being very traditional. Though it is unclear how this concept of the mysterious Orient originally developed (and American men certainly don’t know where they got this idea from), they nonetheless believe that Chinese women possess a distinctly loyal, dependable sensibility. This belief has given many a progressive, liberated American man a feeling of safety and security, as it entails that these ostensibly traditional, conservative Chinese women would dutifully serve as attentive wives and loving mothers.

Such a woman, American men suppose, would never rashly seek divorce or adopt the fiercely independent stance popular among American women and strive for gender and property-based equality. When compared to American women, who struggle mightily for personal liberation and who are strong in business and brave enough to pursue their dreams, Chinese women cannot but win the affection of American men.

2) Foreign men are increasingly accepting of Chinese women.
China’s increasing international prominence and influence, together with the worldwide publicity afforded the Beijing Olympics and the recent Shanghai World Expo, have resulted in China becoming a nation of great interest to the world. The concurrent rise in popularity of these "Made in China" women cannot be seen as entirely separate from China’s ascendance. For many American men, marrying a Chinese woman has become a matter of great pride, no different from gaining a great treasure, and would be seen by their friends and family as a fortunate and happy circumstance.

3) "Leftover" Chinese Women are scarce in America, and when a thing is scarce, it is precious.
There are approximately three million overseas Chinese in the United States, composing a little less than one percent of the total population. However, after men, older women and children have all been tallied, the number of leftover women aged 28 to 35 is small indeed. Though the statistics are incomplete, it is estimated that these women account for only one one-thousandth of the total population of the United States.

So few in number, leftover Chinese women in the USA have become a precious commodity, if you will, and rather than return to China for marriage, they can now compete with their beautiful countrywomen counterparts for the affections of eligible American bachelors. Not quite so excellent men, as well as those previously married, should consider going abroad to look for love, as the fusion of East and West is a charming combination, and one that offers vast prospects and the chance to accept only the best as a future mate.

4) Chinese women are petite and age gracefully.
An American man once asked me, "Why do you Chinese never show your age? I can never tell how old you really are." In the eyes of a large and lumbering foreign man, small-framed Chinese women must appear all the more cute, gentle and innocent, and it is probable that these supposed "Oriental characteristics" are very attractive to such foreigners.

American men feel that Chinese women are generally small, trim and lovely, and they are forever incapable of correctly guessing a Chinese woman’s age. I have discovered that they often judge a Chinese woman to be ten years younger than she actually is; therefore, whatever romantic problems a leftover woman might encounter in China as a result of her age cease to be problems when a foreign man is involved, and such a woman’s time of greatest beauty can be prolonged by an additional ten to fifteen years. Thus, only Chinese women aged 38 to 48 should rightly be considered leftover.  

5) Leftover women have personal integrity.
Since these leftover women possess the "Three Highs" of a high education, high salary, and high intelligence and have often received an American-style education, language practice and Western cultural edification, they thus enjoy very strong professional competence and are of high personal quality. These are worldly and experienced women, charming, possessed of fine feminine qualities in addition to the "Three Highs," and not scared of self-confident foreign men who appreciate a confident woman. They are a melding of Eastern traditions and Western modernity, the cultures of the East and West mixed together.

The United States is a nation of immigrants, and in addition to age-appropriate Chinese men and those already married and divorced – or "second-hand" – these leftover Chinese women have a whole world’s worth of men from every nation and culture to choose from. And leftover Chinese women in the United States are especially picky, as if they were hovering over the boundless earth and sky, dating whomever they might choose. Or so goes the logic of the leftover woman today.

6) Foreigners seek out adventure in everything.
The personality of foreigners is one that prefers what is new, what is unrestrained; in pursuit of fresh and unusual experiences. They are quick to accept novel experiences and the object of their affections, as well as their aesthetic sense, is often different from that of a typical Chinese. The same woman who might appear ugly to a Chinese man may appear ravishing and beautiful to a foreigner. Even if her eyes are tiny and her skin is deep yellow, a foreigner will not care – clearly her age will be even less of a problem. All of these factors provide those pegged as "leftover women" a leg to stand on and show their pride and self-confidence. 
 

Source: culture.ifeng.com
 

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