Easy Prey: Illicit Enterprising Activities and the Trafficking of Vietnamese Women in China

Women being sold or forced into marriage is nothing new in China; however, forced marriage involving foreign women is a recent development. Enterprising agents in the gray market of matchmaking businesses in China are increasingly networking and coordinating with partners over vast distances in luring and entrapping unsuspecting women into their profitable efforts. Using the data extracted from official sources in the Chinese judicial system, we analyzed a total of 189 convicted cases of forced marriages involving 536 Vietnamese women who were trafficked into China, spanning a period of over 5 years (January 2014 through April 2019). We found people of diverse backgrounds participating in the trafficking business, most were of low education and unemployed or underemployed. Little formal organizational structures appeared to be needed in these trafficking activities. The vast majority of traffickers were Chinese nationals, who were well connected with the cross-border trade as well as traditional matchmaking business. Most trafficking occurred under the guise of employment opportunities, in which Vietnamese women were offered jobs in interior China. Implications for policy and future research are also discussed.