Interviewing a research institute in Beijing, the recruiter asked me if I had a girlfriend. What does that mean?

In fact, what the interviewer cares about is not whether you have a girlfriend but where your girlfriend is, which is related to the length of your working hours.

For example, if you answer that you have a girlfriend, the other person will usually ask where your girlfriend is or when you met her. These questions will not be asked by foreign companies because they are relatively private. But most state-owned enterprises will pay attention to it. If you answer that you are emotionally stable, have plans to get married, and are local, your chances of admission will be greater. If you are out of town, they will care about your future plans.

In the final analysis, giving an answer or not is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage. If they are interested in you wholeheartedly, they can answer anyway.

If you don't like it or you don't like it, then this girlfriend problem can be highlighted.

According to my recruitment experience, I generally prefer to have a girlfriend, and she is a local.