Another thing to be aware of is that there's always an angle to any Chinese who go out of their way to befriend you. It will probably be money-orientated, eg free tuition from you or getting you to teach where there's a commission that you don't know about pocketed by your Chinese new-found friend, or acting as your agent/interpreter in a pink room for a commission.

The first two I have personally experienced with folks attempting to take advantage of me. The last one I was fortunate enough to avoid but nevertheless it's still pretty disturbing.

As for Chinese women, those mousy types will never get involved romantically with laowai. You'll 'attract' golddiggers by and large. You don't want to be a meal ticket bossed around by such a woman. There are suitable wives here, but it's not easy to find them. The main thing is to ensure you're the boss in the marriage, not her!

The mousy types I avoid anyway, I know folks married into Chinese families and I prefer someone who is more open as they can have a hidden agenda. You are right it's hard to find a good woman. I would look for one who is willing to go both through thick and thin. What scares me off from dating when I'm in China is the entitlement mentality that many of the girls seemingly possess, even the sweet ones.

Being someone who's been around the block, I assume you found a pretty good one?