The rumored relationship between film star Zhang Ziyi and popular TV anchor Sa Beining has become a hot topic, and many netizens have expressed "concern" over it because the annual income of Zhang is about 790 million yuan ($127 million), almost 77 times that of Sa.

Irrespective of whether Zhang and Sa have fallen in love, the netizens' "concern" reflects the traditional Chinese thinking that men should earn more than their wives (or partners).

But in developed countries a growing number of women contribute more to family income than men. This trend is changing women's traditional role of being "helpless housewives" and challenging the perceived image of men as the "breadwinners".