It's hard enough as it is for China's menfolk to get a bride these days as they face a growing gender imbalance brought about by the one-child policy. But now it seems that Russian ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and action star Jackie Chan (成龍) are out to make it even worse.
A few days ago, Zhirinovsky announced his backing for a bill which aims to stop Russian women marrying foreigners -- many of whom are Chinese men who have been forced to seek romance further afield.
Then came the blow from their countryman Jackie Chan, who yesterday suggested that more foreigners should marry women from Shanghai, who are widely considered to be the most sophisticated and cosmopolitan women in China.
"We can encourage more foreigners to marry Shanghai ladies so their children will be able to speak Chinese," the South China Morning Post quoted Chan as saying during festivities at the Shanghai International Film Festival on the weekend.
"It will help spread Chinese culture far and wide," he said.
His comments are unlikely to meet with approval from China's growing army of bachelors, who are estimated to reach 40 million within 20 years and who face fierce competition in finding a mate from their own countrymen.
In some areas of China, the gender imbalance -- caused by the large number of abortions and the one-child policy -- is as high as 133 boys to every 100 girls.
As a result, some men are forced to seek brides in countries such as Russia.
Zhirinovsky, who sees Chinese men as the biggest perpetrators of the crime of robbing Russia of its most beautiful women, argues for imposing severe penalties on Russian women who "unpatriotically" choose to marry foreigners.
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