Also: Creator of the controversial chastity belt attempts suicide, Panda seeks loving home, and foreign students bring in the cash

Gay Life

Under new guidelines to be issued next month, homosexuality will be declassified as a pathological condition in China.

A study carried out by the Chinese Psychiatric Association will be released to the public on April 20. In the third draft of the Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Standards for Mental Illness, detailed definitions of homosexuality suggest that same-sex sexual practices are not necessarily psychologically abnormal, and are thus not to be classed as a pathological condition.

In a telephone interview Chen Yanfang, vice chairman of the Chinese Society of Psychiatry and one of the authors of the report, stated that homosexuality was previously defined as a " perversion" ; now it is to be classified as xing xinli zhangai, something akin to an " identity crisis" .

Surveys of 51 gay couples found that only 6 of the couples required the aid of psychiatrists, suggesting that mental instability does not lie behind the sexual preference.

Reputed researcher and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences scholar Li Yinghe welcomed the news, saying that the new reclassifying of homosexuality is a form of social progress. She stated that the conclusions reached in China reflect those reached 28 years ago in the United States, when the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from their own list of mental illness.

However, the authors of the report were keen to confirm that although they do not consider homosexuality as a pathological condition, this does not mean that Chinese law and society officially sanction the practice of conducting homosexual relationships.
_Beijing Youth Daily, Mar 12_

Chastity Belt Creator Attempts Suicide

Inventor of the modern chastity belt Zhao Xin has attempted suicide, blaming the pressure of media attention. The former policeman from Shenyang phoned Life Times journalist Li Haixia on the afternoon of March 14. "Sister Li, this is the last time I will speak to you," he is reported to have said. "I have swallowed 100 sleeping pills." Zhao received prompt medical attention and was saved, and at last report was recovering at a Shenyang hospital.

Zhao's path to media fame began in September 2000 when he came to Beijing to apply for a patent for his chastity belt. Intended to promote fidelity among loving couples, the invention raised a storm of media interest. But ultimately, this did not translate into success. According to Zhao, many businesses promised to invest in the production of his invention, but ultimately none were willing to put up the necessary money needed for the product development. He claimed several would-be investors tricked him with promises of thousands of yuan, only to abandon him once they had garnered the publicity of press conferences.Things seemed to look more hopeful in March 2001, when Zhao was invited to participate in the Guangzhou Fashion Festival. However, his hopes were dashed once more.

The final straw was when his girlfriend left him. He felt his only option was to overdose. "Since I created the invention, I've never had a complete night's sleep," Zhao said from his hospital bed.
_Chengdu Shangbao, Mar 15; Beijing Youth Daily, Mar 16_

Panda Seeks Loving Home

The Beijing Zoo has announced a scheme allowing for the adoption of China's national animal, the rare and endangered giant panda.

Currently at the zoo, as many as 11 pandas ranging in age from a 6-month-old baby up to a hulking 19-year-old giant are looking for adoptive parents to offer them some TLC. The scheme is still in the testing stage, but adoption fees have been tentatively set at ??80,000 a year. Although the program is not intended to supplement zoo funding, proceeds from any adoptions will be used to pay for improvements in the panda's living conditions.

Sections of the panda houses were built in the 1950s, with the main parts added in the 1980s when the pandas outgrew their former homes. However, government funds and annual ticket revenues of around Y30 million are only enough to maintain the status quo, and not effect a significant improvement in conditions.

Since the plans were unveiled, the zoo has received many queries from interested parties, asking questions such as whether they would be permitted to use the animal for commercial purposes if they adopted it ( they can't), and whether they would still require an entrance ticket to visit their new family member (they wouldn't, if the number of visits is held within reason).

Zoo officials have stated that the animals would still belong to the nation after adoption; adoptive parents will however be permitted to christen their pandas, participate in feeding programs, and visit regularly. Keepers promised to give detailed reports on the physical conditions of the pandas to worried parents upon request at any time.

This is not the first program of animal adoption in China; at the Shanghai Zoo, over 1,000 individuals and over 40 companies have adopted a variety of animals, including pandas. Internet adoption, controversial in other parts of the world, has also raised its head, with an American couple paying a fee of US$6,100 to adopt a panda online from the Wulong Nature Reserve, Sichuan.Those interested in adopting an animal should call the Beijing Zoo's hotline on 010-68314411 ext.206
_Beijing Youth Daily, Mar 15; Beijing Evening News, Mar 17_

Foreign Students Bring in the Cash

According to a recently published report, 90% of foreign students studying in Beijing are doing so at their own expense, bringing much-needed cash and prestige to universities along the way.

The Chinese Capital Development Report, the first systematic research carried out on overseas students and their studying environment in China, finds that students on government scholarships account for a mere 10% of the total; fees collected from paying students in Beijing alone contribute a staggering US$10 million to university coffers every year. The bonus funds are generally used to support improvements in science education, as well as invested to raise overall education levels in China. Related service industries such as tourism and real estate also benefit from the influx of students.

Institutions hosting a higher number of overseas students tend to find that their international reputation is enhanced by their presence, and China's top universities also tend to boast the greatest numbers of foreign students on their rolls. Increasing numbers of foreign students are choosing to live off-campus, although an unregulated leasing market and unreliable agency services have impeded the legal renting of apartments outside of university gates. Foreign students also complain that essential student services such as libraries and hospitals are often insufficient for their needs.

The timely publication of the book is expected to stimulate action to resolve the problems facing foreign students in China, especially in Beijing, which sees the highest traffic of overseas students.
_Beijing Evening News, Mar 19_

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