BEIJING, April 28 — In China, increasing numbers of young people are seeking “friendship marriages” to escape family pressures and societal expectations.
According to the South China Morning Post, this trend involves couples who marry without romantic love or sexual ties, maintaining their relationship based largely on shared values and interests.
In these so-called “friendship marriages”, partners live together but often sleep in separate rooms and remain free to date others outside of the relationship.
They may also choose to have children through artificial insemination or adoption, avoiding the conventional marriage norms.
The phenomenon is not unprecedented. In Japan, agencies exist to cater to this trend, matching individuals with similar goals, including asexuals and homosexuals, as well as those disillusioned by traditional marriage.
Though the trend has parallels in China, it remains more discreet, with couples often keeping their arrangements private.
Meilan, from Chongqing, married her best friend four years ago, opting for a legal marriage without a traditional wedding.
The couple, both financially independent, shares a home in the suburbs and contributes equally to its purchase and renovation costs.
“My husband and I are roommates who live together but are also family,” Meilan said in the report.
Chloe, a 33-year-old from Shanghai, also entered a friendship marriage to avoid societal pressures and prevent unwanted family involvement.
However, she said their marriage included a prenuptial agreement with an escape clause: “If either of us finds true love one day and wants a traditional marriage, we can divorce.”
Experts warn that while these marriages help individuals maintain independence, they may not provide a long-term solution to societal pressures, especially as housing and single benefits improve.
