More than 300 fans gathered at the Shanghai airport to welcome Drogba on his much-anticipated arrival to join Chinese Super League strugglers Shanghai Shenhua.

Drogba has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the big-spending club for a reported salary of $300,000 a week, ending weeks of speculation on his future after he announced his decision to leave Champions League winners Chelsea.

“I decided to come here because when the club and the president approached me, I looked at the project and it came with ambitious ideas and he wants to … help football develop in China,” Drogba told reporters after his unveiling.

“I know China is a great sports country so for me it was also a big challenge because it could have been easy for me to stay in Europe and go to another team, another big team.

“Really, I didn’t come here with the idea of making a lot of money. I come here because it is a completely different challenge from what I have seen in Europe before.

“And that’s the idea, there are many challenges but this one is a big one.”

Drogba’s arrival is the latest in a long list of high-profile names who have made the move to China in recent months.

Italian World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi is in charge of a Guangzhou Evergrande side packed full of skilful South American talent.

Drogba, who scored 157 times in 341 appearances for Chelsea making him the club’s fourth all-time leading scorer, is the biggest catch of them all.

POOR RESULTS

The 34-year old striker will join former Chelsea team mate Nicolas Anelka at the club struggling at the 13th spot in the 16-club Chinese Super League. Shanghai Shenhua is coached by former Argentina boss Sergio Batista.

“The results of my new team, they are not so good, not so great. But you know, the second part of the season just started and I think we have time to make some better results and to bring the club to a better place,” Drogba said.

“With my team mates, we are going to perform as much as we can. And I came here to win the league, I am not coming here as the beginning of the retirement or something like this.

“I want people to make sure and to understand that I am here to win. I am not here to sit and relax.”

The fans arrived in the early hours of the morning at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, many dressed in the club’s blue jersey bearing “Drogba 11″, and their hopes were also pinned on the Drogba-Anelka strike force.

“I believe that with his arrival, our results will improve significantly, because he has a good rapport with Anelka,” 23-year-old Zhu Hongbo said.

“Also, we have brought in a midfield player in (Giovanni) Moreno. I think for the second half of the year, our results will improve and we can be in the top three.”

(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

Drogba has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the big-spending club for a reported salary of $300,000 a week, ending weeks of speculation on his future after he announced his decision to leave Champions League winners Chelsea.

The 34-year old striker will join former Chelsea team mate Nicolas Anelka at the club struggling at the 13th spot in the 16-club Chinese Super League. Shanghai Shenhua is coached by former Argentina boss Sergio Batista.

The fans arrived in the early hours of the morning at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, many dressed in the club’s blue jersey bearing “Drogba 11″, and hope that the Drogba-Anelka strike force will change the club’s fortune.

“I believe that with his arrival, our results will improve significantly, because he has a good rapport with Anelka,” 23-year-old Zhu Hongbo said.

“Also, we have brought in a midfield player in (Giovanni) Moreno. I think for the second half of the year, our results will improve and we can be in the top three.”

Drogba’s arrival is the latest in a long list of high-profile names who have made the move to China in recent months. Italian World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi is in charge of a Guangzhou Evergrande side packed full of skilful South American talent.

Drogba, who scored 157 times in 341 appearances for Chelsea making him the club’s fourth all-time leading scorer, is the biggest catch of them all.

“I am very excited and very moved that such a great player can be here in Shanghai and join to play for Shanghai Shenhua. As a Shanghai Shenhua fan and a Shanghai resident, I feel very proud,” Roy Zhu, 27, said.

(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

Drogba has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the
big-spending club for a reported salary of $300,000 a week,
ending weeks of speculation on his future after he announced his
decision to leave Champions League winners Chelsea.

The 34-year old striker will join former Chelsea team mate
Nicolas Anelka at the club struggling at the 13th spot in the
16-club Chinese Super League. Shanghai Shenhua is coached by
former Argentina boss Sergio Batista.

The fans arrived in the early hours of the morning at the
Shanghai Pudong International Airport, many dressed in the
club’s blue jersey bearing “Drogba 11″, and hope that the
Drogba-Anelka strike force will change the club’s fortune.

“I believe that with his arrival, our results will improve
significantly, because he has a good rapport with Anelka,”
23-year-old Zhu Hongbo said.

“Also, we have brought in a midfield player in (Giovanni)
Moreno. I think for the second half of the year, our results
will improve and we can be in the top three.”

Drogba’s arrival is the latest in a long list of
high-profile names who have made the move to China in recent
months. Italian World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi is in
charge of a Guangzhou Evergrande side packed full of skilful
South American talent.

Drogba, who scored 157 times in 341 appearances for Chelsea
making him the club’s fourth all-time leading scorer, is the
biggest catch of them all.

“I am very excited and very moved that such a great player
can be here in Shanghai and join to play for Shanghai Shenhua.
As a Shanghai Shenhua fan and a Shanghai resident, I feel very
proud,” Roy Zhu, 27, said.

(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan
Chakraborty)

Drogba has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the
big-spending club for a reported salary of $300,000 a week,
ending weeks of speculation on his future after he announced his
decision to leave Champions League winners Chelsea.

The 34-year old striker will join former Chelsea team mate
Nicolas Anelka at the club struggling at the 13th spot in the
16-club Chinese Super League. Shanghai Shenhua is coached by
former Argentina boss Sergio Batista.

The fans arrived in the early hours of the morning at the
Shanghai Pudong International Airport, many dressed in the
club’s blue jersey bearing “Drogba 11″, and hope that the
Drogba-Anelka strike force will change the club’s fortune.

“I believe that with his arrival, our results will improve
significantly, because he has a good rapport with Anelka,”
23-year-old Zhu Hongbo said.

“Also, we have brought in a midfield player in (Giovanni)
Moreno. I think for the second half of the year, our results
will improve and we can be in the top three.”

Drogba’s arrival is the latest in a long list of
high-profile names who have made the move to China in recent
months. Italian World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi is in
charge of a Guangzhou Evergrande side packed full of skilful
South American talent.

Drogba, who scored 157 times in 341 appearances for Chelsea
making him the club’s fourth all-time leading scorer, is the
biggest catch of them all.

“I am very excited and very moved that such a great player
can be here in Shanghai and join to play for Shanghai Shenhua.
As a Shanghai Shenhua fan and a Shanghai resident, I feel very
proud,” Roy Zhu, 27, said.

(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan
Chakraborty)

China’s rich soccer club owners are not interested in hearing that though. They are enjoying the boom time and flush with global media interest after enticing household names such as Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba from the sport’s traditional power bases of Europe.

Drogba, fresh from scoring the decisive penalty in the Champions League final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in May, is expected to arrive in China this week to join Shanghai Shenhua and earn a reported weekly wage of $300,000 a week.

He will line up in a Shanghai forward line already boasting former France international Nicolas Anelka, Colombian creative midfielder Giovanni Moreno and coached by former Argentine boss Sergio Batista.

Shanghai aren’t the only ones lavishly spending, however. League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande, who are coached by former Italian World Cup winner Marcello Lippi, are led by creative midfielder Conca, the Argentine previously the best paid player in the league.

The investment is thanks in large part to the booming Chinese economy and domestic soccer keen to clear up their act. The dark days of rife corruption in the national league seemingly in the past with the recent 10-year jail sentences handed to former heads of soccer.

But there are fears about the long term future of such profligate spending.

“I think such a trend might probably last for two to three more years. Because this involves a lot of financial support to keep it going,” Lou Yichen, a renowned soccer commentator in Shanghai, told Reuters in a recent interview.

“I feel such a situation cannot be sustainable in the long term because most football clubs in the Chinese Super League cannot keep up with such huge financial pressures.

“As seen from the current situation in China, no football club can be operated on a profitable basis. The amount of financial investment put into a football club and the returns you gather from it is not even comparable.

“We always hope that Chinese football can fly high in a short period of time, and be able to catch up with our neighbours such as Japan and South Korea. But even though we have such good thoughts, to a large extent we do not know in what way or to take which road to achieve such a target.”

BENEFITS

The Chinese way though rarely involves patience. The global super power is used to seeing instant results and struggle to see why this is not the way in soccer.

China are currently 68th in the FIFA rankings behind Haiti, El Salvador and Sierra Leone, with their hopes of qualifying for a second World Cup in 2014 already over after early elimination.

The huge investment on the likes of Drogba and Conca are expected to inspire a nation of young footballers and improve standards in the world’s most populous country.

However, fans Reuters spoke to in Shanghai after the signing of Drogba said they wished the money could have been spent on the grassroots levels of the game to eventually benefit the national team.

“In everything, there are benefits and there are problems. I think with such big-name signings, they will benefit Chinese football more than harming it,” former Shanghai midfielder Fan Yun told Reuters.

“If you look at Europe, they also have foreign imports and there is not much of a problem on them sidelining their local talent.

“(But) I feel more of the focus should still be on developing young talents.”

But developing young players, building training academies and employing innovative coaches to succeed with the 2030 World Cup in mind is not in the interests of flamboyant businessmen and club owners who are keen to be photographed with their expensive soccer assets at every opportunity.

But while heads turned in Africa, Europe and South America, many in China are yet to be convinced.

Using Guangzhou as an example, Lou said that despite the club’s heavy investment – they are one of the few clubs to pay transfer fees – enticing spectators has proved problematic.

“We know that they are one of the most successful real estate companies in the country. So in terms of their investment, they can put in a lot of money and are stable. But in terms of the operation of the football club as a business, till today they have not earned a single cent.

“There is even news from behind the scenes saying that Guangzhou Evergrande gave away almost 10,000 free tickets for every match. Also if you look at the football merchandising sales, they are also not earning any profits.”

Without a self-sustaining model, fans rely on the rich club owners to maintain their interest and investment or China would be back to the lower echelons of Asian soccer again.

(Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

China’s rich soccer club owners are not interested in
hearing that though. They are enjoying the boom time and flush
with global media interest after enticing household names such
as Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba from the sport’s
traditional power bases of Europe.

Drogba, fresh from scoring the decisive penalty in the
Champions League final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in May,
is expected to arrive in China this week to join Shanghai
Shenhua and earn a reported weekly wage of $300,000 a week.

He will line up in a Shanghai forward line already boasting
former France international Nicolas Anelka, Colombian creative
midfielder Giovanni Moreno and coached by former Argentine boss
Sergio Batista.

Shanghai aren’t the only ones lavishly spending, however.
League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande, who are coached by former
Italian World Cup winner Marcello Lippi, are led by creative
midfielder Conca, the Argentine previously the best paid player
in the league.

The investment is thanks in large part to the booming
Chinese economy and domestic soccer keen to clear up their act.
The dark days of rife corruption in the national league
seemingly in the past with the recent 10-year jail sentences
handed to former heads of soccer.

But there are fears about the long term future of such
profligate spending.

“I think such a trend might probably last for two to three
more years. Because this involves a lot of financial support to
keep it going,” Lou Yichen, a renowned soccer commentator in
Shanghai, told Reuters in a recent interview.

“I feel such a situation cannot be sustainable in the long
term because most football clubs in the Chinese Super League
cannot keep up with such huge financial pressures.

“As seen from the current situation in China, no football
club can be operated on a profitable basis. The amount of
financial investment put into a football club and the returns
you gather from it is not even comparable.

“We always hope that Chinese football can fly high in a
short period of time, and be able to catch up with our
neighbours such as Japan and South Korea. But even though we
have such good thoughts, to a large extent we do not know in
what way or to take which road to achieve such a target.”

BENEFITS

The Chinese way though rarely involves patience. The global
super power is used to seeing instant results and struggle to
see why this is not the way in soccer.

China are currently 68th in the FIFA rankings behind Haiti,
El Salvador and Sierra Leone, with their hopes of qualifying for
a second World Cup in 2014 already over after early elimination.

The huge investment on the likes of Drogba and Conca are
expected to inspire a nation of young footballers and improve
standards in the world’s most populous country.

However, fans Reuters spoke to in Shanghai after the signing
of Drogba said they wished the money could have been spent on
the grassroots levels of the game to eventually benefit the
national team.

“In everything, there are benefits and there are problems. I
think with such big-name signings, they will benefit Chinese
football more than harming it,” former Shanghai midfielder Fan
Yun told Reuters.

“If you look at Europe, they also have foreign imports and
there is not much of a problem on them sidelining their local
talent.

“(But) I feel more of the focus should still be on
developing young talents.”

But developing young players, building training academies
and employing innovative coaches to succeed with the 2030 World
Cup in mind is not in the interests of flamboyant businessmen
and club owners who are keen to be photographed with their
expensive soccer assets at every opportunity.

But while heads turned in Africa, Europe and South America,
many in China are yet to be convinced.

Using Guangzhou as an example, Lou said that despite the
club’s heavy investment – they are one of the few clubs to pay
transfer fees – enticing spectators has proved problematic.

“We know that they are one of the most successful real
estate companies in the country. So in terms of their
investment, they can put in a lot of money and are stable. But
in terms of the operation of the football club as a business,
till today they have not earned a single cent.

“There is even news from behind the scenes saying that
Guangzhou Evergrande gave away almost 10,000 free tickets for
every match. Also if you look at the football merchandising
sales, they are also not earning any profits.”

Without a self-sustaining model, fans rely on the rich club
owners to maintain their interest and investment or China would
be back to the lower echelons of Asian soccer again.

(Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; editing by Amlan
Chakraborty)

China’s rich soccer club owners are not interested in
hearing that though. They are enjoying the boom time and flush
with global media interest after enticing household names such
as Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba from the sport’s
traditional power bases of Europe.

Drogba, fresh from scoring the decisive penalty in the
Champions League final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in May,
is expected to arrive in China this week to join Shanghai
Shenhua and earn a reported weekly wage of $300,000 a week.

He will line up in a Shanghai forward line already boasting
former France international Nicolas Anelka, Colombian creative
midfielder Giovanni Moreno and coached by former Argentine boss
Sergio Batista.

Shanghai aren’t the only ones lavishly spending, however.
League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande, who are coached by former
Italian World Cup winner Marcello Lippi, are led by creative
midfielder Conca, the Argentine previously the best paid player
in the league.

The investment is thanks in large part to the booming
Chinese economy and domestic soccer keen to clear up their act.
The dark days of rife corruption in the national league
seemingly in the past with the recent 10-year jail sentences
handed to former heads of soccer.

But there are fears about the long term future of such
profligate spending.

“I think such a trend might probably last for two to three
more years. Because this involves a lot of financial support to
keep it going,” Lou Yichen, a renowned soccer commentator in
Shanghai, told Reuters in a recent interview.

“I feel such a situation cannot be sustainable in the long
term because most football clubs in the Chinese Super League
cannot keep up with such huge financial pressures.

“As seen from the current situation in China, no football
club can be operated on a profitable basis. The amount of
financial investment put into a football club and the returns
you gather from it is not even comparable.

“We always hope that Chinese football can fly high in a
short period of time, and be able to catch up with our
neighbours such as Japan and South Korea. But even though we
have such good thoughts, to a large extent we do not know in
what way or to take which road to achieve such a target.”

BENEFITS

The Chinese way though rarely involves patience. The global
super power is used to seeing instant results and struggle to
see why this is not the way in soccer.

China are currently 68th in the FIFA rankings behind Haiti,
El Salvador and Sierra Leone, with their hopes of qualifying for
a second World Cup in 2014 already over after early elimination.

The huge investment on the likes of Drogba and Conca are
expected to inspire a nation of young footballers and improve
standards in the world’s most populous country.

However, fans Reuters spoke to in Shanghai after the signing
of Drogba said they wished the money could have been spent on
the grassroots levels of the game to eventually benefit the
national team.

“In everything, there are benefits and there are problems. I
think with such big-name signings, they will benefit Chinese
football more than harming it,” former Shanghai midfielder Fan
Yun told Reuters.

“If you look at Europe, they also have foreign imports and
there is not much of a problem on them sidelining their local
talent.

“(But) I feel more of the focus should still be on
developing young talents.”

But developing young players, building training academies
and employing innovative coaches to succeed with the 2030 World
Cup in mind is not in the interests of flamboyant businessmen
and club owners who are keen to be photographed with their
expensive soccer assets at every opportunity.

But while heads turned in Africa, Europe and South America,
many in China are yet to be convinced.

Using Guangzhou as an example, Lou said that despite the
club’s heavy investment – they are one of the few clubs to pay
transfer fees – enticing spectators has proved problematic.

“We know that they are one of the most successful real
estate companies in the country. So in terms of their
investment, they can put in a lot of money and are stable. But
in terms of the operation of the football club as a business,
till today they have not earned a single cent.

“There is even news from behind the scenes saying that
Guangzhou Evergrande gave away almost 10,000 free tickets for
every match. Also if you look at the football merchandising
sales, they are also not earning any profits.”

Without a self-sustaining model, fans rely on the rich club
owners to maintain their interest and investment or China would
be back to the lower echelons of Asian soccer again.

(Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; editing by Amlan
Chakraborty)

Ivory Coast striker Drogba announced he had agreed a two-and-a-half year deal with Shanghai on Wednesday, but rather than sit back and bask in the monumental deal for Chinese football, former Argentina boss Batista was focusing on the next big name.

Moreno, 25, who currently plays for Racing Club in Argentina, has been identified as the man to provide the assists for Drogba and Batista said he was hopeful the attacking midfielder would be in China before the month was out.

“Perhaps there are still some problems with (Giovanni) Moreno’s club. I hope that he can arrive in Shanghai this week or next week,” the manager told reporters at the club’s weekly news conference on Thursday.

“The club has put in a lot of effort to bring him here so we are still waiting for these problems to be sorted out. He will not be able to play for this weekend’s game but I hope he can be available for the next game.”

Shanghai said their dreams had come true when they confirmed they had signed Drogba and could pair the Ivory Coast striker up front with former France international Nicolas Anelka.

Drogba will join up with his new team mates in July after his contract with Chelsea expires and Batista could not wait for the powerful forward, known as ‘The Beast’ in China, to arrive.

“I personally would like him to be at the club as soon as possible,” Batista said.

“My only wish is that he keeps a good fitness level because he has not been playing football for a while.”

IMPROVING STANDARDS

While the transfer of Drogba, on a reported wage of $300,000 a week, attracted global headlines, some fans in China were disappointed that so much money was going to one player and not being invested in developing young local players for the national team.

However, Shanghai defender Dai Lin believed the arrival of Drogba can be beneficial in improving standards.

“The transfer of Drogba is a good thing for both our team as well as for Chinese football,” Dai told reporters.

“We have much to learn from such an international football star, such as his professionalism and football skills. And after all, Drogba is someone who has won the European Champions League.”

Shanghai players and supporters will be hopeful Drogba, who scored the decisive penalty as Chelsea beat Bayern Munich to win the Champions League last month, can make an instant impact after their disappointing start to the season.

Shanghai are 12th in the 16-team standings after a poor opening 13 games. Batista is their third coach of the season after they dismissed former France international Jean Tigana and ended Anelka’s brief spell in temporary charge, despite protests by the striker who wanted to continue.

“Everyone in our team is very happy because we have been hoping for this announcement for a long time,” Shanghai midfielder Yu Tao said.

“Our players expressed their happiness and hope that with his transfer, we can perform much better in the second half of the season.”

(Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by John O’Brien)

Ivory Coast striker Drogba announced he had agreed a
two-and-a-half year deal with Shanghai on Wednesday, but rather
than sit back and bask in the monumental deal for Chinese
football, former Argentina boss Batista was focusing on the next
big name.

Moreno, 25, who currently plays for Racing Club in
Argentina, has been identified as the man to provide the assists
for Drogba and Batista said he was hopeful the attacking
midfielder would be in China before the month was out.

“Perhaps there are still some problems with (Giovanni)
Moreno’s club. I hope that he can arrive in Shanghai this week
or next week,” the manager told reporters at the club’s weekly
news conference on Thursday.

“The club has put in a lot of effort to bring him here so we
are still waiting for these problems to be sorted out. He will
not be able to play for this weekend’s game but I hope he can be
available for the next game.”

Shanghai said their dreams had come true when they confirmed
they had signed Drogba and could pair the Ivory Coast striker up
front with former France international Nicolas Anelka.

Drogba will join up with his new team mates in July after
his contract with Chelsea expires and Batista could not wait for
the powerful forward, known as ‘The Beast’ in China, to arrive.

“I personally would like him to be at the club as soon as
possible,” Batista said.

“My only wish is that he keeps a good fitness level because
he has not been playing football for a while.”

IMPROVING STANDARDS

While the transfer of Drogba, on a reported wage of $300,000
a week, attracted global headlines, some fans in China were
disappointed that so much money was going to one player and not
being invested in developing young local players for the
national team.

However, Shanghai defender Dai Lin believed the arrival of
Drogba can be beneficial in improving standards.

“The transfer of Drogba is a good thing for both our team as
well as for Chinese football,” Dai told reporters.

“We have much to learn from such an international football
star, such as his professionalism and football skills. And after
all, Drogba is someone who has won the European Champions
League.”

Shanghai players and supporters will be hopeful Drogba, who
scored the decisive penalty as Chelsea beat Bayern Munich to win
the Champions League last month, can make an instant impact
after their disappointing start to the season.

Shanghai are 12th in the 16-team standings after a poor
opening 13 games. Batista is their third coach of the season
after they dismissed former France international Jean Tigana and
ended Anelka’s brief spell in temporary charge, despite protests
by the striker who wanted to continue.

“Everyone in our team is very happy because we have been
hoping for this announcement for a long time,” Shanghai
midfielder Yu Tao said.

“Our players expressed their happiness and hope that with
his transfer, we can perform much better in the second half of
the season.”

(Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by John
O’Brien)

So the 30-year-old Shanghai export sales executive went to a
matchmaking firm, one of thousands that have sprung up to help
young Chinese, busy with work and trying to please fussy
parents, find their better half in the face of a gender
imbalance.

“I feel it is better late than never for me to be
considering marriage at this time. I have to seize the
opportunity,” Li said.

“But my parents are a little nervous because they feel that
women at this age should already be married and even have kids.”

In traditional Chinese society, marriages were arranged by
families and matchmakers and tying the knot was never in
question. Although customs are changing rapidly, the one-child
policy in modern China piles on even more pressure on children
to get on with the business of producing offspring.

Matchmaking events are increasingly common, with eager
singles – often accompanied by concerned parents – gathering in
parks on the weekends to search for love among personal
information strung up on trees and notice boards.

Television dating shows such as “If You Are the One,” in
which men have 20 minutes to sell themselves to 24 female
guests, have become wildly popular, spawning similar programmes
on television stations across the nation.

Matchmaking companies have stepped in, riding the wave of
popularity of such shows and traditional Chinese parental
pressure, to cash in on the marrying business.

“Over the past two years, with the popularity of television
dating shows, people have become more aware and educated about
matchmaking,” said Sunny Ouyang, the founder and chief executive
of Shanghai-based matchmaking company 5QChina.com.

“Marriage is a very important event in one’s life, but
overall, families and society still don’t put a strong enough
emphasis on it.”

Ouyang, who began her business as a dating website, now
holds dating workshops for singles and provides one-on-one
tutoring in the finer points of romance for members, who pay
from a few thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan (hundreds
to thousands of U.S. dollars) for the privilege.

In addition, her firm holds outings for singles and runs
customised courses to help members understand themselves better,
as well as building their social and dating skills.

“(Our members) have basically had some kind of experience in
a romantic relationship. For example, perhaps they have just
broken up, and they come to join us, or perhaps they have been
through a divorce,” Ouyang said.

Most of her members are white-collar workers in their late
20s or early 30s, who were unable to find love in their limited
work and social circles. And despite there being more men than
women in China, generally the odds favour the men at any event.

Census data shows a rise in the percentage of older single
women over the last decade, while the percentage of older single
men has fallen, according to the China Daily – which experts
said might be due to increasingly choosy women unwilling to
settle for men with inferior education and living standards.

Ouyang said she was pleased to see younger women coming on
board, often prompted by their parents.

At a recent weekend dating salon at her office, participants
were given time to describe themselves by choosing from four
different profiles. Later they went into smaller groups to
interact with people of differing profiles.

Li Xing, a 30-year-old production manager at a steel firm,
said he joined because it was hard to meet women in his
male-dominated industry.

“This place is strict on the information you give. This
feels more real, there is a higher level of trust, and also a
wider scope of people,” he said.

“This is better than people recommended to my parents,
because that’s restricted to only a small group of people,
giving me less of a choice.”

(Editing by Elaine Lies and Jacqueline Wong)