Based on 1989-90 surveys of more than 20,000 people in 15 provinces and municipalities by a 500 member research team, this is the first such study in China. Many rural parents still choose spouses for their children, although the practice is rapidly dying out. Because of this practice, the statement that "81.9% of urban and 92.5% of rural residents first experienced sex with their spouses" is probably pretty accurate, in spite of Chinese training to politely say what they think they are expected to say. Trends among the young (whose marriage age averages over 25) were not reported in the May 1993 China Today magazine article. Data on homosexuals is being collected in a new survey.

Other data included:

                                            Urban    Rural
Premarital sex experiences - male           24.9%    15.7%
Premarital sex experiences - female         15.7%    17.3%
Intercourse frequency - per month            4.66     5.43
% of females who initiate sex with husband  67.2%    63.5%
% satisfied with sex life                   55.5%    66.6%

Only 8.7% of males and females admitted masturbating, while 28.1% chose not to answer the question. These responses are probably related to the crowding and lack of personal space people experience, and to societal prudishness. Censorship of explicit sex is universal by the government. Western-style advertising is just beginning, and "sex-ploitation" or the use of partially-clothed women to sell products does not exist. An 11 pm Shanghai radio talk show is novel -- it provides sexual advice to promote sex education and decent sexual morals.

The need to maintain order during the transition to a more open society is felt strongly by the Chinese people and their government (which is badly frightened by the chaos in the former Soviet empire). The hundreds of recent illegal Chinese immigrants who have been detained in California and New Jersey are a drop in the bucket compared to what the world can expect if order is not maintained. Over 200,000,000 Chinese are studying English in school; people out of school practice English by listening to BBC and Hong Kong broadcasts.

The "morality" of China is under attack partly for the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, but mainly for "coercive" family planning policies. Our national need for a "demon enemy" makes us very susceptible to those using "demonizing" tactics such as abortion propaganda to instill hatred for the Chinese. The adult Chinese population knows what it's like to go to bed hungry. They shared food during famines, such as the late 60's when more than 30 million died. They know if their neighbor has an extra child, their own child won't have enough to eat. They strongly want to follow Japan's example of USA trade and become like their other prosperous Asian neighbors. They love their one child and want him/her to go into business - NOT war or crime.