What happens when 30 million Chinese men can't find wives? Dating coaches step in with special camps
As marriage rates fall and China's gender imbalance deepens, millions of single Chinese men are turning to dating coaches, virtual partners and even international matchmaking to improve their chances. Driven by economic pressure, rigid social norms and emotional isolation, many feel caught in a system they can't escape. A new documentary, The Dating Game, lays bare their struggles, hopes and frustrations. From deodorant-sprayed confidence drills to fake online personas, it's a story that feels both deeply Chinese and globally familiar.
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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
The Queens' Gambit
How Two Indian Girls Made Chess History Something amazing just happened in the world of chess! Two Indian players — Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh — faced each other in the final of the Women's World Cup. That means the two best players in this big tournament were both from India. This has never happened before, and it's a really big deal! Usually, players from China win these tournaments. Most of the top 10 women chess players in the world are Chinese. Until now, Humpy was the only Indian on that list. But now, with Divya also shining, Indian girls are starting to make a mark in the chess world. Even though men and women can both play in the same chess tournaments, there are still far fewer women at the top. In 2001, only 6 out of every 100 international players were women. By 2020, it was about 15 out of 100. But there's still a long way to go. For example, there are only 42 women grandmasters in the whole world, but 1,804 male grandmasters! In India, only 23 out of 85 grandmasters are women. Some people used to wrongly believe that women couldn't play chess as well as men. Even a champion like Garry Kasparov once said that! But everything changed when Judit Polgar, a girl from Hungary, beat him in 2002. She showed the world that girls can be just as smart and daring on the chessboard. Now, there's a debate. Some people think there shouldn't be separate tournaments for women, while others say women's events give more girls the chance to play and win prizes. In India, this is super important because training for chess costs money, and many parents may not spend that money on their daughters. Especially in smaller towns, more boys than girls get to play. But things are changing. This all-Indian final, with the winner getting $50,000, has shown that girls can succeed in chess — and even become stars! It will inspire more girls to pick up the game and dream big. India might be ready for a chess revolution led by girls — and that's something to celebrate! Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Economic Times
6 hours ago
- Economic Times
Chinese comedian's viral set on domestic abuse sparks authority intervention on gender based humor in China
TIL Creatives Fan Chunli, a sensation is a 50-year-old comedian from rural China Fan Chunli, a 50-year-old comedian from rural China, became a national sensation after her raw and candid stand-up performance detailing years of spousal abuse and her eventual escape resonated widely with audiences on the streaming platform iQiyi's show The King of Stand-up Comedy . Before comedy, Fan worked as a sanitation worker and had limited formal education, only attending school until junior high. Growing up in a traditional environment where women had few rights to inherit family property and were expected to marry early, Fan initially accepted these roles but later found family and marriage constricted her financial independence. During her set, Fan, performing under the stage name 'Fangzhuren,' shared her painful personal story that highlighted the pervasive issue of domestic violence in China. The performance moved many viewers to tears and earned a standing ovation, culminating in one of the most-liked comments wishing anger upon her abusive the viral popularity of Fan Chunli's set and other similar comedic performances that discuss gender-related issues have elicited a stern response from Chinese authorities, particularly in Zhejiang province. Provincial publicity officials issued a public warning on WeChat admonishing comedians to avoid provoking gender opposition for the sake of being funny. They condemned comedy that reduces complex gender dynamics into simplistic battles between men and women.'Criticism is obviously fine, but it should be… constructive rather than revolve around gender opposition for the sake of being funny,' read the WeChat article by authorities according to Hong Kong Free Press. It urged comedians to analyze phenomena like consumerism's impact on gender roles and to avoid outright antagonism between sexes. This crack down is part of a broader pattern of Chinese authorities suppressing independent feminist activism and rigorously policing content across comedy, music, and public discourse. Over the past decade, China has significantly curtailed feminist movements viewed by the state as influenced by 'malicious Western' ideas. Fan Chunli's story brought to light the taboo and sensitivity around topics like domestic violence and women's rights—issues largely brushed under the carpet in Chinese society and public reaction to Fan's set was overwhelmingly empathetic, reflecting a deeper awakening among Chinese women who question traditional patriarchal norms. However, the state's response signals a desire to control the narrative and limit the scope of gender debates to avoid social discord, emphasizing 'palatable' and state-sanctioned content rather than authentic lived comedians and cultural creators, the authorities' directive means navigating careful boundaries between raising awareness and provoking censorship. As one analysis pointed out, Fen Chunli's candidness struck a chord but also reminded marketers and artists that authenticity in China's content environment carries significant risks of backlash.
NDTV
16 hours ago
- NDTV
Rivalling Musk's Optimus Robot, China Unveils Rs 5 Lakh Bot That Can Fist-Fight
A humanoid robot that can fist-fight and even do cartwheels has been unveiled by a Chinese company that costs a little over Rs 5 lakh ($6,000), rivalling other companies producing similar bots. The new R1 robot by Unitree Robotics, unveiled on Friday, could be seen performing handstands and throwing combination punches. The R1 weighs about 55 pounds and has 26 joints to allow for flexible movement. It is also equipped with multimodal artificial intelligence, including voice and image recognition. The robot's capabilities, as shown in the viral video, mark a significant leap forward in robotic locomotion and balance. Apart from displaying ample boxing capabilities, the robot also performed "kip-up' -- a complex gymnastic manoeuvre involving a person or robot transitioning from a supine position to standing without using their hands. See the viral video here: Unitree Introducing | Unitree R1 Intelligent Companion Price from $5900 Join us to develop/customize, ultra-lightweight at approximately 25kg, integrated with a Large Multimodal Model for voice and images, let's accelerate the advent of the agent era!🥰 — Unitree (@UnitreeRobotics) July 25, 2025 As of the last update, the video had garnered nearly three million views and hundreds of comments, with the majority asking if the robot could perform everyday chores. "Will it fight anyone you point at? Asking for a friend," said one user while another added: "Can it walk my dog and serve breakfast to my kids?" Meanwhile, other users tagged Elon Musk and his Tesla Optimus company, which also develops general-purpose, bipedal humanoids, capable of performing tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring. "Yo @Tesla@Tesla_Optimus@elonmusk. You guys still trying compete? Hope you're not still in the lab in few years while these guys are ramping and deploying next year?" the user said. Apart from Mr Musk's company, US firm Boston Dynamics and its Atlas robots have also helped pioneer the humanoid robot market. However, an advanced human-like bot for just Rs 5 lakh, if done successfully, could mark a major milestone for China in the robotics and AI race. Currently, Unitree's larger, more advanced humanoid robot H1 sells for more than Rs 77 lakh ($90,000). Unitree's older G1 humanoid, which has costs Rs 13.8 lakh ($16,000), grew popular for use in research labs and schools.
