I had a Chinese business associate visit me recently. We were out for a walk around my suburban neighborhood. He noticed the big houses (certainly compared with China), several nice cars, and the fact that there were quite a few “yuppies” with no kids - and every house seemed to have a dog.
He commented - American couples seem to work hard, go to work early, come home late, and maintain big houses - for their dogs to live in.
Strange how people who visit here can be so quick, as your associate was, to criticize what he perceived as the American way of life. If you haven’t at some time, check out the book, “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China” by Jung Chang. The book gives an interesting perspective, spanning three generations, of life in China. Incidentally, the book is also banned there... as is having a family with more than one child.