Married couples may find helpful the "China Report on Happy Marriage and Family," released on Thursday, Nov. 19, which suggests that loyalty, consideration and mutual understanding are the key elements of a satisfying marital relationship.
Released by the China Association of Marriage and Family Studies, under the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), the report was based on results of a survey conducted among 10 cities around the country, which was undertaken together with Zhenai.com, one of the country's leading dating websites.
The survey results showed that among loving spouses, loyalty is the most craved quality, with 86.3 percent of the respondents expressing this trait as a common desire. Among the other qualities cited by respondents as being crucial to long-lasting relationships, consideration and mutual understanding also topped the list.
In terms of getting along well with one another, many couples stated that "talking about interesting things in daily life" and "asking for opinions concerning important family issues" were two effective ways to maintain and increase the love between partners.
Although quarrels are sometimes inevitable due to different lifestyles, differing viewpoints and lack of communication, many of the interviewees agreed that mutual trust and understanding play an important role in settling differences and conflicts.
According to the report, those born in the '70s and the younger generations are more inclined to discuss family issues with their spouses and "equal consultation" has become a common decision-making model among Chinese families.
Regarding family assets, more than 40 percent of respondents said that they conducted joint financial management with their spouses. Although most couples co-own their family properties, men have relatively higher proportion of sole ownership. Some 60 percent of the youngsters born after 1985 own their own properties, the survey revealed.
The report said that the staff sent questionnaires and conducted numerous interviews that started last October. A total of over 10,000 questionnaires were collected, covering first- to third-tier cities that included Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Hefei.
The subjects of the survey included individuals aged 22-55, who came from various fields and backgrounds.
The organizers were able to build up a picture of married life in China by collecting and analyzing different information, such as length of the marriage, the offspring, education, occupation and income, as well as the key elements of marriage and the common traits of happy couples, shedding light on how to build more happy families in the country.