An economics professor in China has suggested that Chinese men share their wives with men who can’t find their own.

This idea comes from Xie Zuoshi, a professor at the School of Economics and International Trade at Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics. Mr. Xie says China has a population imbalance between men and women. This imbalance, he adds, has left about 30 million adult men without wives.

Mr. Xie said, “If we stick to the moral idea of monogamy, we would be condemning 30 million men to a life of misery without wives and children.”

His call for wife-sharing brought him lots of criticism. Tens of thousands criticized his idea in social media. They say Mr. Xie’s proposal is immoral and an insult to women. A teacher in Beijing, Yu Baoyu, says the professor is treating woman as if they are a product that a husband can share or rent. This teacher adds, “I am surprised he has the audacity,” or nerve, to say such things in public.

Others said online that if Mr. Xie thinks it is such a good idea, he should share his own wife.