Nepal probes illegal matchmaking as China cautions citizens over ‘bride buying’

Nepal is stepping up scrutiny of illegal cross-border matchmaking after authorities uncovered cases in which brokers and online intermediaries were marketing Nepali women as prospective brides for Chinese nationals, prompting increased enforcement and official warnings.

The Chinese Embassy in Nepal issued a New Year’s travel advisory cautioning its citizens against what it described as “bride buying” in the country, urging them not to trust matchmaking agencies and brokers blindly and stressing that deceptive or profit-driven cross-border matchmaking is illegal under Chinese law.

“Fully understand the legal, cultural, property division and child custody risks involved in cross-border marriages,” the notice said. “Do not easily believe cross-border matchmaking … stay away from illegal marriage brokers.”

The warning, posted on Friday, follows a series of recent cases in Nepal that have drawn attention to suspected illegal matchmaking activity involving Chinese nationals, as well as a broader shift by online brokers towards South Asia.

China’s demand for overseas brides is often linked by researchers to its skewed sex ratio, which official figures put at about 104 men for every 100 women. The imbalance, shaped over decades by birth control policies and a cultural preference for sons, has left millions of men struggling to find partners. Some turn to paid matchmaking services that claim to help facilitate marriages abroad.

  

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