Peking University professor Zhang Yiwu at the Global Times annual forum on December 21, 2019. Photo: GT

Emerging issues like gay marriage should receive public attention, said a Peking University professor during the Global Times annual forum on Saturday. 

Zhang Yiwu, a professor in the Chinese Department at Peking University, said the importance of gay marriage can be found in heated online discussions following the national legislative affairs commission acknowledgment that they received advice to include the legalization of same-sex marriage in the civil code on December 20.

Zhang believes that such issues should receive greater attention because it is easy to tell how important they are to younger people based on the interaction he has had with his students. 

Zhang noted that unlike younger generations, most older people do not approve of gay marriage, which involves the definition of property rights, along with political, cultural, and social tradition issues. 

"Compared with our generation, a new generation may have different views, and that's why we need to attach importance to such emerging topics," said Zhang.  

Zhang also urged that such topics have become key issues in political, cultural, and social discussions worldwide. 

"In a few years, the focus of the Global Times annual forum may not only be about China and the US but may also involve gay issues," he said.