International
The Chinese say “yes I do” to singleness
The fathers and mothers of China who go to the parks with posters to “pair” their sons and daughters are getting their homework going uphill every day, because in these times in addition to not wanting to have offspring – which brings the Government upside down -, young people do not want to get married either.
The figures don’t lie: data released by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs this week indicate that the number of marriages registered during 2024 fell to 6.1 million couples, the lowest figure since records began in 1980.
The decrease is also striking because it occurred, according to the lunar calendar, in the “Year of the Dragon”, the only mythological animal of the Chinese horoscope and a period so linked to good omens that couples traditionally scheduled their weddings or the birth of their children under this sign.
But now, in a country whose foundations rest on deep-rooted family values, the trend speaks of a youth that moves away from the millennial tradition quickly and without looking back, but who also, in many cases, does so to avoid the following “mandatory” steps of a list written in stone: having children and assuming the spouse’s family as one’s own.
“The cost of having a child is very high. I feel that life after marriage is not as good as when I am single,” Guo Shengnan, 27, tells EFE.
This journalist and influencer on social networks also points out other factors, such as that her work career does not leave her time to fall in love and that “there are not many high quality men” in her environment.
“The marriage is not only the union of two people, but also the union of two families behind these two people, which means responsibility. I just want to live a good life for myself and I don’t want to assume those responsibilities,” says Guo.
The question of the family of law has special weight in the case of women. They are expected to take care of their mother-in-law in old age. And the mothers-in-law, in China, rule a lot.
Zhao (surname), a 37-year-old official who clings to his singleness after seeing his married friends “on the verge of collapse,” tells EFE that marriage “is not only the combination of two people, but also the combination of two families.”
“Differences in lifestyle habits, perspectives of life and opinions above all would drive me crazy,” says the interviewee, who affirms that his “patience and tolerance” for relationships every day are less and concludes: “marriage is not the crystallization of love, it can be the grave of life.”
A walk through the crowded Chinese social networks confirms Guo and Zhao’s feelings.
“I have a younger brother. He can complete the task of getting married,” says an Internet user. Another refuses to “attend to men” and a third states that the purpose of getting married is to have children and since she does not want to have them, she does not need to get married.
In the case of men, economic reasons also arise, from the maintenance to the tradition of the dowry, which is still maintained in many places in a China where decades of one-child policy led to a gender imbalance, with many more men than women today.
“I don’t have a car, just a house in the countryside and a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan (688 dollars or 655 euros). I’m afraid that someone else’s daughter will die of hunger,” laments a user, while another drags an unpaid loan that prevents him from providing the dowry and one who boasts of having “house, car and life” believes that getting married will reduce his quality of life.
On the other hand, in many of the Chinese provinces babies born to unmarried couples cannot be legally registered, a headache for the authorities in the midst of a demographic crisis that has made China lose the title of the most populous country in the world at the hands of India.
The population of the Asian giant, about 1,411 million inhabitants in the last census, has been decreasing for three years in a row for the first time since 1961, when the failed industrialization policy of the Great Leap Forward produced a famine that took millions of lives.
For now, the countless benefits approved by the Government to stimulate the birth rate – including “allowing” having three children – have fallen on deaf ears.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
International Project Tackles Gender Violence in Indigenous Communities in Panama
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International3 days agoIranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
-
International5 days agoKing Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
-
Central America4 days agoU.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
-
Central America4 days agoInternational Project Tackles Gender Violence in Indigenous Communities in Panama
-
International5 days agoTrump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views