"Chinese embrace degenerate ways

BEIJING - Most Chinese have come to accept the idea of lovers living together before marriage, a practice traditionally regarded…

BEIJING - Most Chinese have come to accept the idea of lovers living together before marriage, a practice traditionally regarded as degenerate, according to a survey quoted by yesterday's China Economic Times.

The survey, conducted by Beijing University's Sociological Research Institute, interviewed 1,000 people from all walks of life about a practice that has in the past been a target of criticism from both the government and society, the newspaper said.

The survey found that 59.4 per cent of people interviewed said they could accept unwed couples living together, with women showing extra tolerance, the newspaper said.