A billboard in a busy part of Luohu advertising the services of a marriage consultancy specializing in alliances between Chinese women and foreign men has been criticized by male pedestrians as "humiliating" towards Chinese men, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

The roughly two-meter high billboard, located near the Luohu Xiaoxue Bus Stop, claims to help local women "look for a foreign Mr. Right and marry him" and has raised the hackles of some men, who say it is an affront to Chinese males, according to the newspaper.

A man who gave only his surname Guo said he was enraged when he saw the hoarding on his way to work Monday morning. "It is like calling on Chinese women to marry foreign men for the sake of their own happiness. This is a humiliation for us as Chinese men," Guo said.

Another man identified as Lin said the ad implies that marriage with a foreign man is superior to marriage with a Chinese man, and that a Chinese woman should be proud of marrying a foreigner. "It is not only a humiliation for men but also for Chinese women, who have been projected as brainless admirers of foreign culture," Lin was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

The marriage consultancy behind the advertisement is YLSN Friendship Club, which was established in 1997 by an overseas Chinese man named Dai Bizhi. It claims to be the largest international marriage consultancy in China.

Chen Cheng, the agency's deputy operations manager in Shenzhen said it has more than 1,000 female clients. "We don't matchmake, but just help our clients set up their personalized Web site and link it to other matchmaking sites abroad," Chen said.

He said the advertisement was designed by an advertising agency 10 days ago. "The advertisement was also approved by relevant authorities," Chen said, adding that the ad fits the company's market perfectly although he admitted to have received dozens of complaints.

"We are thinking to withdraw the advertisement in the face of increasing pressure from the public."

Marriages between Chinese women and foreign men are common in recently years, while marriages between Chinese men and foreign women are rare.

Editor: Yan