Hello and welcome to this week's Voices from Other Lands, I'm your host, Li Peichun. Not too long ago, our life partner would have been very like ourselves. We would have been from the same race, shared the same culture and spoken the same language. But those days are now confined to history. Love transcends race and culture, and we see this all the more today in the form of international marriages. I have with me today one such couple, who work and live in Beijing. The wife is a Chinese lady, Deng Xiao'e, and her husband is Irishman Richard Mullins. Almost 3 years after their first encounter, they have settled down to married life. The romance between Xiao'e and Richard is not necessarily extraordinary these days, but I hope you can get an idea of what brought them together, and keeps them together, in spite of their different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Welcome to our program, Xiao'e, Richard. You got your marriage license a couple of months ago, which means you're husband and wife legally in China. But I haven't had a chance to say congratulations to you. Gongxi..

But you haven't held your wedding yet, have you?

How did you come to know each other? I may sound nosy, but there's something special and romantic about it. It all began in Spain?

Have you changed much since you met? You yourselves may not have realized it. What about Richard, Xiao'e? And ...

How did your families respond to your relationship?

Will you base your future life and work here in Beijing?

You're one of the inter-cultural couples that have impressed me with your harmony and devotion. But have there been situations where you disagree or quarrel with each other because of differences in culture and values, but not differences in your personal characters?

How did you overcome the difficulties, barriers in your life?

This coming Saturday, Feb 14th, will be another Valentines Day. Any special memory of your first Valentines Day?

Richard, do you know that China has its own Valentines Day?

I don't want to spoil your Valentines Day by asking what you will do for each other this coming Saturday. Whatever it is, a red rose or a box of chocolates, I hope you enjoy every day of your life together. Thank you for joining our program and sharing your views on inter-cultural marriage with us... And don't forget to invite me to your wedding feast... You've been listening to Voices from Other Lands, CRI's weekly feature program. Our guests have been two newlyweds, Deng Xiao'e, the Chinese wife, and her Irish husband, Richard Mullins.

(CRI February 20, 2004)