Signing service contracts and providing fixed business venues
will become mandatory for matchmakers, an official said on
Friday.
The move will be a major part of the country's first national
guideline to regulate matchmaking services, said Wang Weiming,
general secretary to the Marriage Matchmaking Services Committee of
China Social Work Association.
A woman disguises her identity with? a
mask as she arrives at a matchmaking party for single young
beauties and millionaire men in Shanghai, November 3, 2007. Each of
the partygoers paid 58,800 yuan to take part in the event organized
by a matchmaking website. [CFP]
The regulation, called the National Standard System on Marriage
Matchmaking Services, is likely to be approved by the Ministry of
Civil Affairs in the next few weeks.
It will for the first time offer a clear definition of match
making agencies, that is, those who have legal approval to
introduce couples, especially for marriage.
More importantly, it will make people availing the services to
get a partner to spell out in clear terms their real purpose. Also,
they will be made to furnish their personal information.
"The majority of matchmaking agencies don't provide any written
contracts. They do business merely through oral promises, instead,"
Wang said.
So the regulation will have detailed provisions of the service
scope, quality, management system, as well as punishment for
violations.
For example, dating time, location and methods recommended by
matchmaking agencies have to be acceptable to both parties.
The booming online dating sector, including those in the
business simply to introduce people for friendship, has for the
first time been brought under the supervision.
Apart from having a fixed business address, dating website
companies should also meet the criteria for website design and
management.
Data show China has more than 20,000 traditional matchmaking
agencies and clubs, employing about 200,000 people, and over 6,000
dating websites.
Dating websites are one of the hottest slices of China's
emerging Internet market, with 130 million users. Most major ones
are based in Beijing.
Shanghai-based iResearch forecast in July that the country's
Net-dating and "friend-making" sector is likely to hit US$80
million next year.
"The regulation will inject new vigor in large-scale regular
matchmaking agencies because those with poor quality and low
reputation will be kicked out of the market," said Gong Haiyan,
founder and chief executive of www.jiayuan.com, a matchmaking
website.
China has a history of matchmakers, or hong niang (auspicious
red mother), and they have enjoyed a sweet reputation from ancient
times.
"The growing industry has made great contributions toward
building a harmonious society" despite having suffered some
credibility crisis in recent years, Wang said.
Its impact can be gauged from the fact that seven out of every
100 couples in Shanghai have met through matchmaking agencies.
(China Daily?November 10, 2007)
