CGTN Digital Roundtable participants (Photo/CGTN Digital)
Family pressure
Young women from other countries at the roundtable were quick to point out that pressure to marry is not just a Chinese sentiment.
"I think that as a society in general, as a whole global society, women definitely feel a need to find a man to define them," said American Melissa Szarowicz, a Beijing resident for more than two years.
Szarowicz suggested that this situation can cause people to rush into marriage, "settling and not really going for what you deserve."
"When I was younger, my father would always say you can't date until you're 35," American Rihanna Aaron jokingly added. "And so now I'm actually in my thirties and now they drop hints like 'So, anyone special in your life?' or 'You thinking about having kids?'"
But females are not the only ones being grilled about their marital prospects.
"Usually, when I was in college they were like, 'Hey, how were your studies?'" Mizart Ghayrat from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region told the roundtable when we chatted with the single guys. "Now that I just go to work they are like, 'Hey, do you have any girlfriend? Are you dating?'"
When it comes to the subject of dating, these singles had a mixed bag of opinions.
"I'm not dating but I want to search for a soul-mate," Li Zhi from Huangshi in central China's Hubei Province declared.
"If I did meet someone in Beijing and I felt like going on dates with them, I'd be happy to, but I'm not actively seeking for anyone to date right now," American Jacqueline Archdeacon said.
"I'm ready, more than ready," Pakistani Khalil Abusufiyan said, not ashamed to profess his commitment. "I am very much involved in a relationship and in fact, it's with a Chinese girl."
One of the key differences to come out during the roundtable discussions was the definitions of dating and relationships in the East and the West.
