Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and her ex boyfriend Vivi Nevo.[File photo]

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One of the most significant symbols of China's opening up to the world is the fact that more and more Chinese women are marrying western men. In 1983, Li Shuang, a woman from China's capital city, Beijing, flew to Paris and married a former French diplomat to China. She became the first Chinese woman to marry a western man after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Since then, Chinese women dating western men has gradually become a frequent phenomenon in China.

The way in which Chinese women perceive western men is based on their usually vague understanding of western culture. Generally speaking, western men have some advantages in Chinese women's eyes, such as the idea that western men are usually tall and strong, and that most of them like sports. They supposedly pay attention to their appearance, like clothing and hairstyle. They supposedly shower and change their underwear every day. They are supposedly considerate to women, romantic, and good in bed. Western men are thought to be well-educated, easy-going, humorous, polite, confident and independent. They are thought to attach great importance to their own rights while respecting other people's privacy and choices, they value quality of life and they have many hobbies.

A scholar from Beijing said that Chinese women who love foreign men, especially European and American men, reflect a mentality typical of people from a weak country. Just like Japanese women, who were once proud of marrying men from the United States, which defeated Japan during World War II, some Chinese women worship the national strength of western countries and believe that all western guys are rich. Little do they know that this is a terrible misunderstanding of the situation. There are successful cross-border marriages. However, if one marries someone just for fortune, one's life could easily turn into a tragedy.