China launches state-sponsored dating event

June 27 (UPI) -- Young Chinese singles gathered at a speed-dating event walked away with potential dates following a matchmaking event hosted by the Chinese Communist Party's Youth League, state media said.

China News Service reported the league's office in Zhejiang threw a party Sunday in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou where about 5,000 people were in attendance.

The event is being held at a time when more Chinese women are postponing marriage in favor of their careers.

The percentage of single women 30 or over has grown, from 0.92 percent of all women in 2000, to 2.47 percent in 2010, according to official statistics.

The Youth League is an elite arm of the party known for cultivating future political leaders. Former President Hu Jintao has ties to the group, the South China Morning Post reported.

The news service said the event was a positive experience for those attending, quoting a woman who allegedly said the event was more "trustworthy" because of its affiliations with the youth league.

The report also stated more than 500 people found a potential date, and that about 5,000 single young professionals were in attendance.

Women in their 20s are outnumbered by men in China, owing to a cultural preference for sons, The New York Times reported.

But women are also shamed and labeled "leftover women" if they do not find a husband by the age of 27, according to the report.