BEIJING: India is slowly surpassing China to become the most populous country in the world. This is also due to the skewed male-female birth ratio in China. These numbers have now resulted in the country facing a predicament. According to the figures, three and a half crore men are bereft of suitable brides in China.

China is discussing a new policy to address this issue. Experts have thus mooted plans for native Chinese men to seek brides from foreign countries. This method was proposed by Ding Changfa, an associate professor at the prestigious Xiamen University. In the proposed method, Chinese men are encouraged to seek possible brides from Russia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Pakistan. The suggestion has led to an online debate with many saying the proposed method is akin to human trafficking.

According to the 2020 National Population Census, there are three crores more males than females in China. This disparity in the male-female ratio is most palpable in the rural provinces of the country. According to Chinese culture, a groom needs to pay money to the bride before marriage. This includes housing, cars and other facilities. In the newly proposed plan, it is believed that the foreign brides come with little to no expectations and thus can easily acclimatize to the traditional culture.