Too busy for love in time of baby bust: Chinese university students embrace being single

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.

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.

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.