Vietnam verifies case of missing brides in China

The Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing is investigating reports of more than 100 missing Vietnamese brides in central China's Hebei province.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Van Thinh, Counselor in charge of community affairs at the Vietnamese Embassy in China, said the embassy is coordinating with Chinese police to verify the case of more than 100 Vietnamese brides who are said to have gone missing in Hebei province since last month.

According to Mr. Thinh, the Vietnamese Embassy also contacted the police and immigration authorities of Ha Bac province to confirm the identities of the Vietnamese girls. "Once the information is clarified, we will deploy citizen protection measures," Mr. Thinh said.

Some Vietnamese brides marry Chinese men through brokers and do not have marriage certificates. Illustration photo: AFP

As someone who regularly deals with community issues in China, Mr. Thinh added that some Vietnamese brides have contacted the embassy for help after marrying Chinese men through brokers. Because they did not research beforehand, these people were surprised by their living conditions and changed their minds. They also did not have official marriage papers.

Chinese media reported yesterday that the country's police are searching for more than 100 Vietnamese brides who disappeared from Quzhou village in the central province of Hebei since November 20. These women told their husbands that they went out to eat with other Vietnamese in the area, but no one has been able to contact them since. These are brides who married through brokers.

According to Jinghua Daily, at least one bride later returned to her husband's home, saying she fainted after the meal. When she woke up, she found herself in a small house far away. She managed to escape and reported the disappearances to the police. A local official said that an organized gang may be behind the series of disappearances.

According to VnExpress