Tied by traffickers: China's marriage boom leaves Pakistani & Bangladeshi women at risk

First Post

27-05-2025

While touted as symbols of international unity, a growing number of cross-border marriages between Chinese men and women from Pakistan and Bangladesh are being exposed as fronts for trafficking and exploitation read more
More and more Chinese men are marrying women from South Asian countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan. At first, these marriages may look like love stories across borders. But in many cases, they are hiding a serious problem—human trafficking.
Some women are being tricked and taken away from their homes, believing they are getting into genuine marriages. Instead, they end up in dire situations, under the control of criminal gangs. While leaders and embassies talk about friendship between the countries, there is mounting evidence that some of these marriages are actually part of a dangerous scam.
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Marriage mirage: A facade for trafficking
The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh has issued a strong warning to its citizens, urging them to avoid involvement in cross-border marriages through illegal matchmaking agencies and to reject the notion of 'buying a foreign wife'. The statement was prompted by increasing reports of abuse and legal consequences surrounding such marriages, especially in Bangladesh where they may amount to human trafficking under local law.
Chinese law already prohibits any form of cross-border marriage matchmaking done for profit or by deception. However, this legal restriction has proven ineffective against the proliferation of underground agents operating across borders. These agents target young women from impoverished backgrounds, who see marriage as an escape from poverty.
Similar concerns were echoed in a Gulf News report on April 18, 2019, which highlighted Pakistan's struggle with illegal marriage centres that deceive Christian girls with false promises. Often, Chinese men are introduced as wealthy, newly converted Christians or Muslims, purportedly offering a better life abroad. But rather than a dream life in China, many women are trafficked into prostitution or used for illegal organ trade.
Exploiting poverty and faith
A disturbing pattern emerges across the reports: these scams disproportionately affect marginalised communities, especially Pakistani Christians. Reverend Johan Qadir, a community leader in Dubai, told Gulf News that illegal marriage agents often produce fake documents to disguise Chinese men as suitable matches even forging religious conversion certificates to gain the trust of poor families.
This deception is rooted in systemic inequality. As highlighted by a DW report on November 5, 2019, Pakistani father Basheer Ahmed saw the proposal from a Chinese man for his daughter as a blessing. Living in poverty, he could not imagine an easier way to secure her future. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare when his daughter was beaten and forced into prostitution after arriving in China. Her story mirrors that of many others.
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This harmful situation takes advantage of two things: poverty and traditional beliefs. Many families see daughters as a way to get money by marrying them off, especially when they are struggling financially.
A crisis enabled by strategic silence?
What makes these abuses even more troubling is the slow and ambiguous response from governments. Even after many news reports and stories from victims, both China and its South Asian partners have been cautious and reticent in how they react.
For example, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad said in a statement reported by Gulf News and The Express Tribune on May 12, 2019, that there was no proof of forced prostitution or organ trade involving Pakistani women in China. However, the embassy did admit that illegal matchmaking was happening and said they would work with Pakistani authorities to address it.
Such statements appear more concerned with safeguarding the image of China-Pakistan relations, especially as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) continues to grow. CPEC, which began in 2015 and is worth $46 billion, has brought thousands of Chinese workers and businesspeople to Pakistan, according to Gulf News in 2019. This large movement of people has made it easier for abuse and illegal marriages to happen.
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The Pakistani Foreign Office also showed this sensitivity in comments shared by The Express Tribune. Officials asked people not to exaggerate the issue and to be careful with how it is talked about, even though they confirmed that Pakistan and China were working together to investigate the matter. These cautious statements suggest that both countries want to avoid hurting their strong political and economic relationship.
Legal blind spots and lax oversight
One major factor enabling this crisis is the disparity in visa and immigration policies. As noted by human rights advocate Asad But in DW's reporting, Chinese nationals enjoy relatively unrestricted access to Pakistan, often receiving visas on arrival. In contrast, Pakistani citizens must undergo a rigorous visa process to enter China. This imbalance allows exploiters to travel and operate freely, while their victims remain trapped by red tape and disinterest from authorities.
The laws exist but are not uniformly enforced. Bangladesh, for instance, has stringent anti-trafficking laws, with penalties ranging from seven years' imprisonment to the death penalty, the Global Times report said. Yet, the underground network continues to thrive, partly because legal processes are long and corruptible. The embassy in Dhaka explicitly warned that trafficking suspects may remain detained for years before sentencing, derailing their lives permanently—regardless of guilt.
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In Pakistan, crackdowns have had limited impact. Following a media exposé and raids in 2019, the FIA arrested 11 Chinese nationals and several local accomplices in Lahore, The Express Tribune said. Still, these isolated actions appear reactive rather than systemic and there has been no report of substantial convictions or dismantling of wider trafficking networks.
Victims without recourse
One of the most troubling aspects of this scandal is the fate of the women who become victims. Once married and transported abroad, they are isolated by language, culture and lack of legal protection. The marriage scam crisis is not just a bilateral issue—it reflects a wider regional pattern of exploitation.
Human Rights Watch noted that such bride trafficking is 'disturbingly similar' to cases in at least five other Asian countries. The phenomenon points to a broader gender imbalance and demand for wives in China, where years of the one-child policy and a cultural preference for sons have led to a significant shortage of women.
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As a result, traffickers look beyond borders to satisfy demand. Poor women from Southeast Asia, South Asia and even parts of Africa become commodities in an international marriage market.
China's expanding economic footprint in South Asia brings with it not only investment but also responsibility. The marriage scam crisis is a litmus test for how both China and its partner states manage the balance between strategic alliances and human rights.