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The article explores China’s growing “single economy” through a case study of the date-renting industry, which has, in recent decades, become a thriving part of Chinese society. It first outlines China’s changing demographics and the scholarship centred on the rising “single” population. Next, the article clarifies the concept of the single economy and the theoretical approach for this study. It shows that an increasing number of businesses have developed new products and services to target the “single market” in China. Third, the article introduces the research methods for this study. Through a close examination of various date-renting websites, the article identifies the logic of the date-renting industry and the strategic presentation of “date-traders” online. It argues that the boundary between emotions and capitalism has become increasingly blurred as these two seemingly opposing forces are now converging, constituting a unique phenomenon in China’s single economy. This manifests as an economically moulded dating culture intertwined with new, intricate social and personal relations – a by-product of China’s demographic shifts and rapidly growing market economy.

Going Solo: An Analysis of China’s ‘Single Economy’ through the Date-renting Industry