Chinese Professor's Viral Girlfriend Criteria Sparks Outrage

An associate professor at a prestigious university in China has gone viral after he listed his requirements for a potential girlfriend. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the scholar surnamed Lou, 35, from the School of Marxism at Zhejiang University in Eastern China, introduced himself as a 175 cm tall, 70 kg man who has a PhD degree from a top Chinese university and earned more than Rs 1.17 crore (1 million yuan) annually, in a post on a matchmaking chatroom.

He mentioned his interests in sports and financial investments and noted that he is the only child in a well-off family from Yiwu, Zhejiang. Mr Lou added he was hoping to find a girlfriend who was born after 2000, which means the girl would be 10 years younger than him. The professor stated that she must be 165-171 cm tall and be "slim and have a good image".

“I will also consider those graduating from foreign institutions that are ranked in the top 20 globally, depending on their own special conditions. A major in law or medicine will add scores,” Mr Lou said in his post.

“If the university from which the girl graduated is not in the above list, but she is extraordinary in other aspects, like appearance, family's financial situation, or her abilities, I may also nod to give her a chance,” he concluded.

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Following widespread backlash, Zhejiang University's School of Marxism released a statement on March 17, distancing itself from the post.

“It contains some untrue information,” the university wrote, without clarifying further. The statement also mentioned that Mr Lou had reported the matter to the police.

The incident triggered a wave of reactions on Chinese social media platforms with the majority calling out Mr Lou for his outrageous standards while others said he was allowed his preferences.

“What a tragedy for education. He treats love as if it were a business transaction," said one user while another added: “What is wrong with this man? He is outstanding, and it's reasonable for him to be selective. Many netizens are just jealous."