Has China asked its citizens not to marry Bangladeshi women? ‘Don’t be misled’
Chinese media has confirmed an order that the embassy in Bangladesh issued Sunday asking Chinese men to not marry Bangladeshis. The order was more of a reminder that there are many dating app, cross-border matchmaking agents promising Chinese men brides from foreign countries like Bangladesh. But no such marriage agency is allowed in Chinese law, the reminder said urging Chinese men in Bangladesh to not be misled by cross-border dating content on video platforms. They should reject the idea of “buying a foreign wife” and think twice before marrying in Bangladesh, the embassy states, Global Times confirmed. According to Chinese law, no marriage agency is allowed to engage in or disguise engagement in cross-border marriage matchmaking services, and no individual is permitted to carry out or disguise such activities through deception or for profit, the embassy said.Chinese citizens are advised to stay away from commercial cross-border marriage agencies and remain vigilant against online romance scams to avoid both financial and personal losses. Victims of such scams should report to the public security authorities in China immediately, according to the embassy. The embassy warned that Banglesh too has strictly laws on human trafficking and anyone involved in illegal cross-border marriages in Bangladesh may face arrest on suspicion of trafficking. Judicial procedures I Bangladesh are often lengthy and if a person is arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, it may take even years from police filing to court sentencing the embassy warned. An Independent report claimed that China has a surplus of 35 million men who are unable to find brides as China;s one-child policy to control population led to a dearth of women as girls were abandoned or aborted. The number of marriages has also seen a steep decline as 6.1 million marriage registrations were recorded in 2024 compared to 7.7 million in 2023, the report said.
Who are Shengnan Shidai?
Shengnan Shidai in Chinese referred to an era of leftover men. This is an Internet term that refers to the period from 2020 to 2050 as in this period an estimated 30 million to 50 million Chinese men are expected to remain without a wife. In 2024, China’s Ministry of Public Security launched a campaign against trafficking of women from other countries as a trend was noticed in which women and girls from neighboring countries were tricked by brokers promising well-paid employment in China. They were sold for between US$3,000 and US$13,000 to Chinese men.
