Vietnamese migrant brides in China

Instances of Vietnamese women entering China for marriage, often illegally, have been reported for decades, primarily in areas close to the border with Vietnam. The frequency of migration for marriage has fluctuated over time due to geopolitical events, but it has risen since the 1990s. Official reactions to the practice, both in China and Vietnam, have been varied. Legal marriage between migrants and Chinese men is difficult, and consequently, many marriages are undocumented. In some cases, the Chinese government has tolerated these marriages and allowed for their retroactive authorization, while in others, it has blocked attempts to do so.

A significant number of these marriages are a result of human trafficking. Women and girls are often tricked into being kidnapped and sold to unmarried Chinese men. Villagers in rural China have expressed a lack of concern towards the practice, citing social, physical, and economic difficulties faced by the men who purchase the kidnapped women. Blocking the movement of Vietnamese migrant brides into the country, trafficked or not, is difficult given the ease of discreetly crossing the border. Motives for consensual marriage between Chinese men and Vietnamese women exist based on mutual perceived desirable traits, and websites have been created to facilitate such unions.