A: Professor Le, you just heard Professor Zhen mention, Chinese society is basically a equality between men and women, do you agree or disagree this view?
B: I think this, I have to talk about my own views, I think this problem is a process. It will not get there right away. First I have to talk about freedom of choice in love in China, that is what he said. First free dating started in the Five Four movement. The western idea of free marriage entered into China. Because in the past China is arranged marriage between matchmaker and parents. Then there also buying marriage. Then after the liberation, The first thing Chinese communist party said was that equality for all people, and all people should be liberated. So the new China’s first law is 1950’s marriage law. This marriage law is made to solve many problems of illegal marriage in the old society, especially buying marriage and arranged marriages. Then I say, free marriage at this time, at the promotion of marriage law have a great development. Many people constantly want to get deeper in people’s heart, tell people that they can choose freely. At that time there are some operas, such as “The marriage of Xierhei”, that talks about free love, before it was buying marriage, now it is free love. These long term promotions give people big changes in thought. Especially as education levels continuously rises. People place a lot of important on this problem But you can also see, that this problem still exists, at some rural areas, in some countryside, arranged marriage and buying marriage still exists. So then, China in the 1980s, amended the marriage Law to confirm some problems. But after the Reform, I think, that individually, this is a bigger aspect, society gave people many opportunity to develop and also gave people these equal opportunities. So men and women in this big economical reform, have to redefine their place. Because in the past China even though says Equality, but in reality in some job places, it can be equality in one level, but in promotions and raises the behavior is very inequality. Because men would rise faster, and women slower. This is different from Western practices. Because we always promoted equality, but women’s rise and development opportunity is still limited. But after the Reform, they gave women especially big rights to develop. Its opportunity and also their abilities are given recognition. So a lot of female executives, female CEOs, female politicians, much more than before, But still you can see, not everyone can accept this, The traditional points still exists. So a lot of people they gave women like this a name “strong women”, I still think it has derogatory meanings.