China’s embassy in Bangladesh has warned Chinese nationals to avoid the “misguided notion” of “buying a foreign wife” through online matchmaking scams.

In a post on the embassy’s social media account yesterday (25 May), the embassy urged Chinese nationals to stay away from illegal agencies that promote cross-border blind dates and marriages “to avoid losing both money and person”, reports South China Morning Post.

It said that individuals involved in illegal marriages in Bangladesh risked being arrested for human trafficking, a charge that often triggers lengthy judicial proceedings.

Cross-border marriage agencies are illegal under Chinese law, but online advertisements promoting foreign brides have begun to appear more frequently as China faces falling marriage rates and a sex imbalance.

Last year, China saw its lowest number of marriage registrations since 1980, with just 6.1 million marriage certificates issued, a decline of more than 20% from 2023.

According to the China’s National Bureau of Statistics, there are an estimated 30 million more men than women in China, a legacy of decades of strict family planning policies.

The sex imbalance is especially pronounced in the countryside, where single rural men – sometimes referred to as “leftover men” – face immense pressure to find a wife, compounded by expectations to provide expensive betrothal gifts.

While neighbouring countries such as Vietnam and Laos have also been sources of foreign brides for Chinese men, South Asian nations have emerged as destinations for international marriage agencies.