What's Your Opinion on International Marriages?

What's Your Opinion on International Marriages?
Sep 10, 2009 By eChinacities.com

Nanfang Daily recently ran an article about an online love affair and subsequent marriage between a 37 year-old Chinese woman, Wu Mulan, from Shenzhen and a Canadian businessman and presidential candidate for the 2005 Polish elections, Stanislaw Tyminski. The article aroused a great deal of contention and Nanfang Daily teamed up with sina.com.cn to put together an online poll asking for Chinese netizens' input and views on international marriages.

A total of 3,464 people participated in the survey below.

Wu and her Polish husband are a middle-aged couple. For many Chinese, matrimony between two middle-aged people can only be born out of practical needs and has little to do with romance and love. Do you think that this is also the prevalent opinion of Westerners?

option Percentage / Votes
1Marriage is often about love for westerners, more so than it is here 52.20% / 1,811   
2Undecided 19.7% / 681   
3Infidelity in marriage is more prevalent in the west, so the quality of marriage is even lower than it is here 16.6% / 574   
4Marriage in the west is about the same practicalities as it is here 11.5% / 398   
 

What do you think is the central factor in the international union of the couple cited here?

option Percentage / Votes
1The riches and fame of a foreign man 44.1% / 1528   
2A woman obviously seeking a better future 23.6% / 817   
3Love 21.6% / 747   
4Intercultural appreciation 7.7% / 267   
5Other 3.0% / 105   
 

If you're to compare the international union cited above with typical marriages between people from a single country, which of the two has the better odds at success in your opinion?

option Percentage / Votes
1Can't say for certain 51.2% / 1,773   
2National marriages have better odds 24.5% / 848   
3International marriages have better odds 24.3% / 843   
 

If you had the opportunity, would you consider international marriage?

option Percentage / Votes
1I'd be willing 67.5% / 2,338   
2No, I'd rather not 18.3% / 634   
3Undecided 14.2% / 492   
 

Ideally, where would you want your foreign significant other to be from?

option Percentages / Votes
1North America 29.8% / 1,036   
2Western Europe 28.7% / 993   
3Northern Europe 13.8% / 478   
4Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) 9.9% / 344   
5Other 6.7% / 231   
6Southeastern Asia 6.1% / 210   
7Japan 5.0% / 172   
 

If you were to consider international marriage, which would be the other major factor in play aside from love?

option Percentage / Votes
1The overall social and cultural tolerance for individualism 42.9% / 1,490   
2The lure of the exotic 22.9% / 792   
3Better things and bigger possessions 20.8% / 720   
4Bigger and better career developments 9.8% / 338   
5Other 3.6% / 124   
 

If you were to consider international marriage, what would be your biggest concern?

option Percentage / Votes
1The obvious cultural and social differences between us 51.4% / 1,783   
2Whether or not I could adjust to the foreign culture 17.8% / 616   
3My language and work skills 15.1% / 523   
4Leaving behind my parents 12.7% / 439   
5Other 3.0% / 103   
 

Would you be willing to immigrate to an impoverished country in Africa for the love of your life?

option Percentage / Votes
1No 78.2% / 2,708   
2Yes 21.8% / 756   

Source: sina.com.cn

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