Sharing a life should mean sharing the financial costs

Beijing has introduced a slew of measures to curb housing prices, yet one in particular recently caught my eye. It is the one that basically means from Feb 17 migrant residents will need to have made income tax and social insurance contributions for five consecutive years to be eligible to buy property in the capital.

The ramifications are far reaching and extend beyond cooling Beijing's red-hot property market. One unintended consequence is that it might lead to people delaying their marriages or, worse still, could even break up relationships between migrants.

It may seem absurd to outsiders, but for those who understand Chinese people's psyche, it's not difficult to fathom the scenario. Chinese women, regardless of their standing on the career ladder, expect the other half to provide shelter prior to marriage. It's a case of "no house, no honey".