The young student publicly announced his feelings for another man in the middle of an illuminated heart ring on the centre of Beijing's Renmin University campus.

He said "I will be with you, not to play basketball, but to kiss you," according to What's On Weibo. After the pair kissed, the large group of students watching the event apparently responded with enthusiasm.

Reaction online has been far more polarised. Positive comments on social media include "Love goes beyond gender, bless you!"  

Less positive comments reported by What's On Weibo are "Won't mankind perish if everyone's gay? In my opinion, gay people should go and see a psychiatrist." Another person says: "They are a disgrace to the university and when their parents see this, they'll faint."

A report by the UN last week found that only 5% of LGBT in China are able to live openly with their sexuality and that LGBT face discrimination and abuse within their families, their schools, and their workplaces.

However, it also revealed how quickly attitudes are changing in China and stated that young people are quite accepting of sexual and gender diversity and that society's rapid change offers an opportunity for LGBT to achieve equality.