Sex Doll Rentals in China Should Be Booming – So Why Aren’t They?

Supply and demand are well-known economic forces, but sometimes the government steps in on behalf of their own agenda. This is exactly what’s happening in China, where sex doll rental companies have been operating within legal gray areas in spite of recent governmental crackdowns.

Even if any of these “sex doll experience halls” don’t completely shut down, their owners can expect regular night-time raids by the police. The usual reasons given for the raids are that these establishments flaunt public hygiene standards, turn a blind eye to drug use, or even allow minors to participate. While there’s no doubt that this is true in some cases, there are still sex doll rental companies that keep things both sanitary and legal.

While the authorities in China have never been happy about the presence of these companies, they didn’t seem to take it seriously until last year. A state-run news agency investigated the matter, and found multiple violations by several companies; since then, the crackdown has continued to escalate, leaving under 300 of them still open for business.

Although authorities cite unsanitary conditions and illegal activities as the reasons for the shutdowns, some people suspect that the primary motivation is the Chinese government’s stance on overall morality. There are not only laws against prostitution, but against disseminating “obscene materials” as well, so it’s not hard to imagine why they aren’t happy about businesses that let customers pay to spend time with sex dolls.

That’s what the critics say – what about all the people who support these sex doll rental companies? Take Li Bo, who ran his own sex doll establishment in Shenzhen until last March, when he was forced to close by police. He says that many establishments, including his own, break no laws and provide a much-needed service for clients. So what about the companies that don’t violate hygiene standards, prohibit entry for minors, and forbid drug use?

Some people – including government officials – feel that this kind of activity is still too similar to prostitution to be allowed. Others say that it’s a necessary and harmless way for men to let off some steam, especially low-income migrant workers. Currently there are about 291 million people in China who have migrated to urban centers in order to find work, and many of these are the men who are regular clients at sex doll rental companies. Along with various regulations on pornography, the Chinese market doesn’t have the NudeLive and Jerkmates of the Western world.

Thanks in part to China’s aggressive marriage market, men who work low-paying jobs and are past their late 20’s have almost no chance of finding a wife or girlfriend. With prostitution being illegal, what’s the alternative?

Instead of raids and shutdowns, it’s been suggested that this industry would benefit from regulations that would set some concrete standards. This way, the companies that aren’t participating in clearly illegal activities would continue to provide their services to clients, rather than being punished for something they weren’t even doing. Sex doll rental companies have the potential to be a safe, legal, and affordable way for their clients to satisfy their needs.