These families now make up 12.4 percent of Shanghai's families, according to a survey conducted by the Shanghai Municipal Women's Federation.

The study surveyed over 1,200 families of different age groups, said Sun Zhongxin, a professor of sociology with the Shanghai-based Fudan University who was in charge of the survey.

"The percentage would have been even higher if we had only surveyed couples aged between 20 and 40," he said.

Another survey carried out by the Beijing-based Horizon Research Company in February showed that 600,000 couples living in China's large and medium-sized cities, including one in every ten households in Beijing, had chosen not to have children.

The trend is a reflection of the changes in the Chinese values system, Sun said.

Traditionally, the most frequently-heard blessing to the newlywed was "may you have a child soon", and childbearing ability was all-important for a good wife.

With the country's modernization drive, however, more and more Chinese couples have come to value career development and the quality of their family life.

Liang Ying, a staff member with the Shanghai Yongye Group, said she has no plans to have a baby in the foreseeable future.

"I'd love to have a child, but the competition is so intense in the company that I might lose my job during my maternity leave," she explained.

Besides, a child would be an intruder in their carefree lifestyle, according to some "dinkies".

One sociologist believes that, behind the growing number of dinkies, are an increasing number of lifestyle options for most Chinese people.

"It's a distinct lifestyle," admitted Li Yinhe, who began research on the "dinkies" over ten years ago.

"They are mostly hedonists who value individuality and the quality of married life more than parenthood," according to one of her works on the subject.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2002)