'In a sense' I think he is right about this making it easy for couples but we should say 'in what way' here:

Many many couples have a scenario where the wife is Chinese and the husband a Brit and there is a long nightmare to do the dreaded immigration paperwork and waits and expenses and don't forget so many have added BS problems when there are previous divorces or sponsorships and then the catch-22 weirdness of a a husband who's working in China so therefore cannot show he earns, has an address, UK bank statements etc etc etc 5 year long bullshite to ensue.

And this is a major problem on the relationship when she ought to be in the UK meeting his family or adjusting or they want to be there together to establish UK based future situations etc.

Now, yes of course before you could get her a tourist visa if my vague memory is correct it required very specific departure info, time frames, return date tickets and then you'd need to do that ever damn time out. (whos done that in the old way?)

So, basically a couple can get a 1-shot deal for 2 years and i understand she can't stay there two years but what i mean is they can freely travel back and forth for two years establishing a UK life together in the UK while she ends up doing the UK version of a 'Hong Kong Run' (or for that matter they return to China where he finishes a year contract, or 6 months).

During that time (hopefully) the actual permanent resident/ spousal/ sponsorship whatever they are calling the permanent route to citizenship for her can carry on. They aren't waiting in China for 2 years so it can be rejected for another 2 years or somehow she stays in China for a year while he goes home to earn sponsorship rights.

I dunno, im on pain medicine tonight but 'in a sense' that could be really beneficial and helpful to Chinese-Brit Spouse situations.