First of all, yes, I can. The normalcy of a thing doesn't make it right. But this isn't really about whether absolute cultural relativism is appropriate or not. It's about a man who broke his word. Nothing about this situation indicates Huang's wife was remotely aware of nor alright with his philandery.

Wait till you hear about what wives get up to at “board game night” in San Jose.

My mother had gotten "two wrongs don't make a right" through my head by about age four. It's still true. I don't know nor care what they're doing in San Jose.

Seems like what they’re doing in North America kind of undercuts your assumptions.

Perhaps it’s you that is out of touch?

> Huang wed an American woman in America

Please don't make the mistake of assuming that American culture is homogeneous: It's not.

There's no major American subculture in which stepping out on your wife behind her back is "a good thing" or even "an okay thing". A vast majority of Americans poll consistently against adultery and is often the single most universally condemned actions in surveys. Here's one example: https://news.gallup.com/poll/692801/adultery-cloning-seen-im...

> There's no major American subculture in which stepping out on your wife is "a good thing" or even "an okay thing".

No, there isn't.

There is a significant part of American culture that separates personal life from professional life. IE, an affair is treated as a private matter to be handled by the married (or committed) couple. (IE, this is why many people in this thread focus on Huang's job performance over the affair.)

And I agree with the latter: The affair is a matter between Huang and his wife; it's a signal of his trustworthiness and honesty, and raises concerns about national security. But beyond that, it's not my place, or your place, to judge.