It has been my observation that BEFORE marriage young Western men have many more lovers than young Chinese men. AFTER marriage, however, Chinese men, in my limited observations, appear to be much more promiscuous than Western married men. This is not a matter of morality; the repercussions for infidelity in the West are punitive and the sex industry is marginalized. In China, previous generations of Chinese women have turned their eyes away from their husband's philandering and when publicly exposed to infidelity have blamed the 'other woman'. And the well-established Chinese sex industry provides easy access for men of all economic levels.

My female college students insist they will not be as tolerant as their mothers. That remains to be seen. Divorce rates and changes in matrimonial asset distribution laws will likely determine future male behavior in China.