Cross-Border Marriages

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the incidence of inter-regime marriages between Hong Kong and mainland China. The paper discusses when this trend started and analyzes the cultural, socioeconomic and geopolitical factors that lead to cross-border marriages between local-born Hong Kong men and mainland Chinese women. The paper also discusses the social environment problems such as cross-border concubines, marriage brokers and legal and illegal-increases in fake marriages of convenience as women marry into more desirable locations within and beyond China's borders, creating a shortage of brides in more remote rural regions.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Methodology
Literature Review
Background of the Study
Cross-Border Marriages and Rationale in Choice of Partner
Inter-Regime Marriages
Reasons Men in Hong Kong Choose Wives from Mainland China
Cross-Border Marriages = Cross-Border Children
Legal Issues of Mainland Born Children with One Parent in Hong Kong
Basic Law Regulating Children Born Outside of Hong Kong with Parent in Hong Kong
Analysis of the "Mess" (Ho Hei-wa: Director of Society for Community Organization
Proponents of the Bill: Rationale
Uninitiated Queues and the Psychological Harm Caused to Waiting or Hiding Children
Geopolitical Aspects of Cross-Border Marriage
Summary & Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Corruption is prevalent in a system that requires the payment of high bribes and fees for smuggling of children into a country in order that the children may be with their parents. The government that uses regulations in this matter is one that appears bent on completely breaking down the parent-child and family structure in Hong Kong and mainland China. The red-tape and bureaucracies existing in a system that does not meet queue quotas is one that perpetuates bribery and smuggling of human beings. Furthermore, these types of regulations do not support the country economically as exampled in the cases of parents unable to work because they are the only parent available to the children due to the entry requirements and regulations in Hong Kong. Certainly, it would be more efficient to invest in more schools and teachers than to force parents into welfare situations when they would rather be working and the country as a whole would be more productive and this is not even to factor in the psychological harm caused to these children who are forced to hide while being smuggled, to live underground so as not to be discovered in Hong Kong and then there are the children who are dragged in handcuffs and repatriated to a homeland they have never known but due to regulations are forced to enter into and live among strangers."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Tu, Edward Jow-Ching (2007 Cross-Border Marriage in Hong Kong and Taiwan. International Marriage Migration in Asia. 2007 Seoul. PAK/IPAR Conference.
• Chen, Yu-Hua (2007) The Rise of Cross-Border Marriages and Its Impact on Fertility in Taiwan. Comparative Workshop of low Fertility organized by Asia Research Institute and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. 22-23 February 2007. National University of Singapore. Online available at: http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/showfile.asp?eventfileid=265
• Cattelain, Chlo (1997) Family vs. Society: Hong Kong's Battle Over Right of Abode for Mainland-Born Children. HRIC. 30 June 1997. Online available at: http://iso.hrichina.org/public/contents/article?revision%5fid=4156&item%5fid=4155
• Chan, Bernard (nd) Post-1997 Hong Kong: The Social and Environmental Impact. Asia Financial Group and Asia Insurance Co. Ltd. and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.
• Kabeer, Naila (2007) 'Footloose' female labour: transnational migration, social protection and citizenship in the Asia region - May 2007 Journal of Social and Economic Policy online available at: http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/12060239821WRC_WP1_Kabeer_Migration.doc

More papers on Cross-Border Marriages:

• Essay # 8297 : "The Yanomamo and Cross-Cultural Marriage"
• Research Proposal # 61395 : "Cross-Border Risks and Capital Allocation Decisions"
• Essay # 58176 : "Cross-Cultural Marriages"

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