Beijing
China’s marriage rate has come down drastically and in 2024, 61 lakh marriages were registered across the country, which is less than 77 lakhs last year. It is because of this decline that experts are recommending to reduce the legal age of marriage from 22 to 18. The decline in marriage rate in China is due to many factors, including increasing economic pressure, change in thinking towards marriage and increasing level of education.
Youth do not want to marry
Especially the urban women of China do not want to throw themselves in such family responsibilities, which give importance to the important stages of life like marriage and children. Due to the increasing expenses of living, many youth are not ready to bear the financial burden of marriage. At the same time, China has been struggling with sexual imbalance for a long time, due to which the country’s ‘one child policy’ and the legacy of giving preference to boys are considered.
When this imbalance was at its peak in the early 2000s, the sex ratio of China reached 121 boys every 100 girls at the time of birth. In some provinces, this ratio was 130 boys on 100 girls. Sexual imbalances especially have seen people born in the 1980s. This has been due to the use of ultrasound technology from the mid-1980s, which facilitated parents that if their child is a girl, they can get abortion.
What will happen to the remaining men?
Unmarried men in China have allegedly become part of the ‘era of remaining men’ (Sankganan Shidai in Chinese). It is an internet word that is roughly used for the round between 2020 and 2050, when it is estimated that 30 million to 50 million Chinese men will be unable to find brides for marriage. The puzzle is that many of these ‘remaining’ men want to get married and are desperate in search of a wife, but are struggling to get a spouse.
Some Chinese men have turned to buy foreign brides when they do not get domestic spouse. The increasing demand for these brides is especially promoting illegal weddings in rural areas. This includes marriages of children and women, which have been smuggled mainly from neighboring countries of South-East Asia to China.
According to the report of Human Rights Watch released in 2019 on the smuggling of the bride from Myanmar to China, the failure of the law enforcement agencies on both sides has created an atmosphere in which smugglers are flourishing. The Chinese government is now determined to tighten this business. In March 2024, China’s Public Safety Ministry launched a campaign against international smuggling of women and children, appealing to increase international cooperation to eliminate these crimes.
‘Foreign bride’ ‘purchased’
Such marriages are often conducted through informal networks or commercial agencies which are illegal according to the State Council of China. Human Rights Watch says that women and girls are usually cheated in neighboring countries and bring a good salary job in China. After reaching China, they leave themselves at the mercy of brokers and are sold between US $ 3,000 (about 2.5 lakh rupees) to 13,000 US dollars (about 11 lakh rupees) to Chinese men.
In China, it is challenging to collect the wedding figures of girls from across the border because these activities are done in a secret manner. But the most recent data of the UK government department shows that 75 percent of the Vietnamese human trafficking victims were smuggled into China, of which 90 percent of the cases were of women and children. The 2022 Award Winning Documentary The Woman from Myanmar is the story of a woman from smuggled Myanmar, who was sold for marriage in China. The film reflects the challenges faced by smuggled brides.
Story of atrocities on women
It not only shows the forced and bad behavior with women, but also shows their struggle for existence in a system that sees them as a product. Larry, a victim of smuggling shown in the documentary, said that her ability to have children decides her existence.
Chinese officials are constantly warning about scams associated with brides purchased from abroad. For example, in November 2024, two people were prosecuted for joining the cross-border matchmaking plan. Chinese men have been implicated in a very expensive marriage tourism abroad with the promise of ‘affordable’ foreign wives. There have also been cases of such cases, where the brides escaped with a huge amount even before the entire marriage was done.
Labor force is undoubtedly important in the matter of economic development of the country. But according to Justin Lynn Yifu, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, what is more important is effective labor. China has continuously increased its investment in education in recent years in fear of future challenges related to its old population. But in spite of this, even more concern is of a large number of remaining men, because it can cause serious threat to social stability.
Now women are buying China to produce children, the deal is being done in so many rupees
The trend of not getting married among the people of China is going on. There people are spending most of their time in their work. The government is worried about which. On the other hand, smuggling of foreign brides for marriage is increasing. Actually, people are not getting married due to rising inflation, higher education, focus on career and changing thoughts in society. Especially urban women are now breaking traditional beliefs and are not considered necessary to become marriage and mother. The situation is such that the one child policy in China and the thinking of giving priority to the son has spoiled the sex ratio badly.
In the 2000s, 121 boys were born on every 100 girls in China. In some provinces, this ratio was 100 girls on 130 boys, its effect is now clearly visible. Chinese men are now trying to buy foreign brides. This trend is promoting women trafficking. Especially girls from Myanmar, Vietnam and other countries of South-East Asia are becoming victims of this smuggling. The smugglers bring these women to China by pretending to be a good job and then sell them to Chinese men for 2.6 lakh to 11.3 lakh rupees.
The report of Human Rights Watch in 2019 stated that the lack of security on the China-Myanmar border and the negligence of law enforcement have become a boon for smugglers. The China government is now trying to tighten these illegal weddings. In March 2024, China’s Ministry of Public Safety launched a special campaign against cross -border crossing of women and children. However, it is difficult to control it completely. Illegal marriage agencies and middlemen are still active.
