Maximizing Profits - Chinese Kama Sutra

Let's start with some background information. The Kama Sutra is not an Indian sex manual. Mostly, it's a treatise on how Indian women should behave in order to maximize their profits when separating a man from his money (my favourite line:"After spending all of a man's money, leave him for some time so that he can rebuild his fortune for the next time you see him."). In the same vein, many expats in Beijing have noted that prevalence of pot-bellied expat men who always have hot, young Chinese women hanging on their arms.
I've always assumed (along with many other expats) that this was the classic situation where the pretty young things are using their beauty and looks to attract men who are (relatively) rich and either drain them of their accounts or marry them and hope for a much better life (of course, this is repeated around the world). It seems like the best option for them to accomplish their goals.
I was recently talking to a Chinese friend of mine who ... well ... is in a position to know about these things and the subject came up. She told me that I was completely wrong and the women who go after the foreign men are fools and not part of the norm. Why? Apparently, there are a lot more rich Chinese men then rich foreign men. Beyond that, the rich Chinese are a lot more ... generous with their money and present much better prospects for long-term financial gain. Those women chasing after foreign men don't really know what they're doing and will have a lot of hard lessons ahead of them.
Never thought about it myself. To my eyes, I only see the obvious examples of older expat men and young Chinese ladies because it's obvious (and slightly distasteful). I guess I wouldn't really notice the dynamic of rich Chinese men and young Chinese women. I will confirm that there are a lot more rich Chinese than people realize. In a city like Beijing, I can pretend that I'm part of the well-off crowd (and I am, really) but the world above me is a lot larger than I can even imagine.
This is yet another lesson of how I can't really trust my own senses when it comes to understanding Chinese culture. The world I see is a tiny slice of the real world in China and without more time (and more guides), I'll forever be stuck with my expat-tainted view. Just because I see a pattern doesn't mean that it has any relationship to the Truth.