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Some marriages may be made in heaven but certainly not some of the ones that are arranged online. China has warned its citizens to be cautious of online brokers who arrange International marriages, taking into account the increasing number of "mail-order brides" who find themselves trapped in unhappy marriages.
A considerable number of Chinese women have been hooked by online "matchmakers", and then travel abroad and blindly rush into marriage, only to be victimised by domestic violence. Some have even lost their lives, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
For instance, on November 28, a woman surnamed Chen sued an online International marriage broker after it provided false information and conned her into marrying an unemployed, ill-tempered divorced British man.
Chen has demanded the firm reimburse 20,000 yuan ($2,564) she paid as the service fee.
In another such case, Ziling, a 29-year-old girl from Shanghai's suburbs, married a Japanese man four years ago, only to discover her 15-year-old husband was a hot-tempered farmer living in north Hokkaido.
The ministry recommended its citizens to contact local Chinese embassies and consulates for help if they have been conned into such marriages.
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