The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh has issued a warning urging Chinese citizens to avoid seeking wives through illegal matchmaking agencies in the country. The advisory, released on social media on Tuesday, is part of a broader series of alerts from Chinese embassies worldwide following a rise in human trafficking risks. The embassy cautioned that any Chinese national attempting to find a spouse in Bangladesh through such agencies could face arrest on suspicion of human trafficking.

According to Bangladeshi law, those convicted of human trafficking face a minimum of seven years in prison and fines of at least 500,000 taka, with penalties extending up to life imprisonment or death depending on the severity. The embassy noted an increase in cross-border marriage scams involving Chinese citizens and emphasized that international marriages should be based on mutual consent and genuine affection.

The warning follows similar advisories issued in Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Pakistan, and Nepal. Chinese authorities have intensified crackdowns on trafficking and fraudulent matchmaking rings, arresting 1,546 suspects between January 2024 and March 2025, according to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.