ABSTRACT
This chapter provides background information on the phenomenon of Chinese-foreign marriage in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the nature of available studies dealing with this issue. It discusses the unusual nature of Chinese-foreign marriage in the PRC prior to 1979 and outlines some of the broader socio-political changes that have encouraged the growth of intercultural marriage following the adoption of market-based economic reforms and an Open Door Policy in December 1978. It then collates and examines the statistical data about Chinese-foreign marriages registered in the PRC between 1979 and 2011, and the altered characteristics of Chinese-foreign marriage in the late reform period. The statistics show that China has become the main country of origin for intercultural marriages registered in Korea by the mid-1990s. The chapter draws on government statistics to examine the evolving trend and characteristics of Chinese-foreign marriages and divorces registered in the PRC during the reform era.
