Latest news with #DingChangfa
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Why Chinese men are queuing up to marry women from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and why China is worried
A growing trend of Chinese men marrying women from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh is raising concerns about human trafficking. While these unions may appear to be cross-cultural relationships, evidence suggests many are linked to criminal activities. Why is this happening? China faces a significant shortage of women of marriageable age due to the long-term effects of its one-child policy. This policy, in place from 1979 to 2015, led to a preference for sons, creating a demographic imbalance. Now, over 35 million Chinese men are without local partners, and this number is expected to rise. Who is affected? Desperate to find wives, many Chinese men are turning to websites and matchmaking services to find brides abroad, particularly in poorer countries. Some pay large sums to arrange these marriages. According to Ding Changfa, a professor from Xiamen University quoted by South China Morning Post: 'In rural China, we have approximately 34.9 million 'leftover men' who might face the marriage pressures of providing housing, cars, and bride price totalling between 500,000 and 600,000 yuan. Last year, the average disposable income per capita in rural areas across China was just over 20,000 yuan.' How does trafficking occur? Women from low-income communities are often lured with promises of genuine marriage and a better life. However, they find themselves trapped by criminal gangs. The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh has warned citizens against using illegal matchmaking agencies and "buying a foreign wife." Despite laws against deceptive cross-border matchmaking, underground agents continue to operate. Where are these scams happening? Similar issues have been reported in Pakistan, where illegal marriage centers deceive Christian families. Chinese men are presented as wealthy converts, but many women are forced into prostitution or illegal organ trade after arriving in China. Illegal agents produce fake documents to disguise Chinese men as suitable matches. Live Events What are the governments doing? Government responses have been cautious. The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad stated on May 12, 2019, 'There is no evidence of forced prostitution or organ trade involving Pakistani women in China,' but acknowledged illegal matchmaking operations. This comes as China and Pakistan are involved in the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which has brought thousands of Chinese workers to Pakistan, potentially facilitating illegal matchmaking. What are the challenges? Legal gaps and slow legal action hinder efforts to combat trafficking. Chinese citizens can easily obtain visas on arrival in Pakistan, while Pakistanis face strict visa processes to enter China, making it easier for traffickers to operate. What is the impact? Victims are isolated by language, culture, and lack of legal protection. Some in China have suggested lowering the legal marriage age to address the problem. Chen Songxi, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed reducing the age from 22 for men and 20 for women to 18 years.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
China warns its leftover men against ‘buying foreign wives'
The Chinese government has warned its citizens in Bangladesh against "buying a foreign wife" amid growing reports of marriage scams and human trafficking in the South Asian country. The Chinese embassy in Dhaka late on Sunday urged Chinese citizens not to be 'misled' by posts on social media offering quick marriages abroad. The embassy stated that, according to Chinese law, no marriage agency was allowed to offer international matchmaking services, while citizens were barred from hiding such activities through deception or for profit. Chinese citizens were advised to stay away from commercial cross-border marriage agencies and remain vigilant against online romance scams to avoid both financial and personal losses, the embassy added. China has a reported surplus of 35 million men who are unable to find brides in part due to the Chinese government's three-decade-long one-child policy, which pushed families to prefer male children. Girls were either selectively aborted or abandoned. China has also witnessed a steep decline in marriages, with 6.1 million marriage registrations nationwide in 2024, compared to 7.7 million the previous year. The decline is mostly driven by factors such as increased economic pressures, rising cost of living, and Chinese women pushing back against patriarchal gender expectations. There are growing reports that a generation of so-called "leftover men" (shengnan shidai in Chinese) are looking towards Pakistan, Russia, Bangladesh and other nations to "purchase" brides. The growing demand for these brides has fuelled human trafficking, with children and women from South and Southeast Asian countries being smuggled into China. Bangladeshi women are among those who have been allegedly being sold in China by criminal gangs under the pretext of marriage, according to a Daily Star report. The embassy warned that those involved in illegal cross-border marriages in Bangladesh may face arrest on suspicion of trafficking. Ding Changfa, an associate professor from the School of Economics at Xiamen University, faced backlash after suggesting that men in China could consider marrying women from Russia, Vietnam and Pakistan to end the marriage crisis. 'In rural China, we have approximately 34.9 million 'leftover men' who might face the marriage pressures of providing housing, cars, and bride price totalling between 500,000 yuan (£51,100) and 600,000 yuan (£61,400)," he was quoted by the South China Morning Post as saying. 'Last year [2023], the average disposable income per capita in rural areas across China was just over 20,000 yuan (£2,000). Solving this issue could involve attracting a significant number of eligible young women from overseas,' he added. Pakistan has been at the heart of the trafficking ring, where parents in poor Christian families were being pressured to offer up their daughters to Chinese men, according to reports. Human Rights Watch in a 2019 report said women were trafficked to China through 'a porous border and lack of response by law enforcement agencies on both sides [has] created an environment in which traffickers flourish.' The group called on China and Pakistan to act in the face of 'increasing evidence that Pakistani women and girls are at risk of sexual slavery in China'.
