WATERING THE NEIGHBOUR'S GARDEN: THE GROWING - CICRED

TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION, MARRIAGE AND TRAFFICKING…
women, namely through trafficking and forced marriage or forced
labour. Some argue that the surplus of young men also represents a
threat to national and international security and stability (Hudson and
Den Boer). Changing demographic sex and age structure are therefore
powerful elements of social change and can potentially also bring about
new social problems.
2.2. Migration and trafficking at the China-Vietnam border
region
Because of its proximity to China with convenient transportation
and cross-border trade, the Quang Ninh and Lao Cai Vietnamese
provinces have been important source and transit provinces for international
migration to China in the past few years. The opening of the
border since the late 1990s, while facilitating economic exchange, have
also exposed populations from both sides to new problems, including
risks of trafficking. The Vietnamese border town of Mong Cai, for
example, has developed quickly into a busy commercial centre between
Vietnam and China. In 2001 alone, the total volume of cross-border
trade at Mong Cai amounted to USD 598 million (Vu and Nguyen,
2002).
Together with the flows of goods and capital are the cross-border
movements of people. Figures released by Mong Cai People’s Committee
in the same year shows that there were 105,000 “within-a-day”
person-trips and 194,000 longer-term person-trips to other inland
localities in Vietnam by the Chinese. From the opposite direction,
32,000 “within-a-day” person-trips to China were made by the Vietnamese
through the border official gates. To cross the border, all that
is needed is an ID card with a photo, a hand-written request, and
VND 25,000.00 (about US$ 2.00) fee paid to Chinese border guards.
There are, however, numerous illegal trips through informal routes.
Most of the moves are for trade of cheap consumption goods
produced in southern Chinese provinces to Vietnam and of agricultural
products from Vietnam to China. Large markets are established along
the border, particularly on the Chinese side, as focal points for the
trade. The vibrant economic activities at these markets have fuelled the
formation of a cross-border labour market of “cuu van”, a Vietnamese
term referring to goods transporters. Many of these transporters are
Vietnamese women. It is at these markets that, according to many
observers, many Vietnamese women are “trafficked”. The reasons for
their movement are varied. Some go for business or employment
purposes–to trade goods across the border or sell goods at the transit
markets; to be recruited as “cuu van”; to run service establishments for
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