[exported_kiwi]

gfell, in China, a male child is preferred because traditionally, males earn more and can look after their parents better in their old age.

This attitude is changing, but not fast enough because of the traditional thinking. The imbalance is going to cause major internal problems in China in the very near future. My fiancee is Chinese and sometimes, the extremely hostile looks I get from local men is unnerving! My lady says to ignore it though because usually, they're migrant workers, away from home and usually, and sadly, uneducated. China is still a very traditional society and filial responsibility is now, believe it or not, a requirement for some jobs and only a male child can earn what's needed to support the parents, so it's thought.

I doubt if there's any foul play involved, just cultural and traditional values at play.