China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday warned its
citizens to be cautious of online brokers who arrange international
marriages, saying the number of "mail-order brides" that find
themselves trapped in unhappy marriages continue to increase.
A number of Chinese women have been hooked by online
"matchmakers", and then travel abroad and blindly rush into
marriage, only to be victimized by domestic violence. Some have
even lost their lives, said the ministry.
On Nov. 28th, a woman surnamed Chen sued an online international
marriage broker after it provided false information and conned her
into marrying a jobless, ill-tempered divorced British man.
Chen asked to be reimbursement the 20,000 yuan (US$2,564) she
paid for the service fee.
Dreaming of living a high life, Ziling, a 29-year-old girl from
Shanghai's suburbs, married a Japanese four years ago, only to find
her 15-year-old husband was a hot-tempered farmer living in north
Hokkaido, reported the Legal Times recently.
"Women should be fully prepared before they marry, and they
should use only reliable, legitimate marriage brokers," said Zeng
Weilong, a researcher with the Institute of Social Development
Studies of the Wuhan University, central China's Hubei Province.
The ministry suggested its citizens contact local Chinese
embassies and consulates for help if they have been conned into
marriage.
(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2006)