Beef
market in China

Waiting for him to fill her hands with achievements?

Ralph Jennings is a journalist and long time resident of China.
He currently lives in Taipei. From mid-2000 to 2006, he had an advice
column in the 21st Century weekly newspaper in which he answered letters
from thousands of students and young professionals. Below is a letter
from the archive, with an introduction by Jennings.

There’s a different kind of meat market in China. Female mate
shoppers check out not only a man’s looks, humor and signs that he’ll
treat her well. They also look for a bit of beef, as in
where’s-the-beef. That means a man’s potential to earn money. Existing
personal wealth is part of the cow. Future earning potential is another,
or as advice column letter writer N.D. puts it, “achievements.”

Dear Ralph,

I’m a new student at a university. In our class I see a girl who
is very beautiful. And I find that many characteristics of hers are like
mine. At the beginning I wanted her to become my girlfriend. But I
haven’t had any achievements. So I got rid of my idea to pursue her. Do
you think I’m right?

N.D., Shanxi

November 2001