# Rural China

China’s Bride-Buying Bust: The Dark Reality of the 'Southeast Asian Dream' for Surplus Men

Chinese authorities have dismantled a major transnational marriage fraud ring that exploited the nation's gender imbalance to scam rural men out of tens of thousands of dollars. The criminal network utilized a 'bait-and-switch' tactic where foreign brides from Vietnam and Myanmar were trafficked into China, only to flee shortly after the 'dowry' was paid.