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Author	Mr ZHANG Xinyi
Organisation/Institution	Law School, Beijing Normal University
Country	CHINA
Panel	Criminal Law
Title	Protecting the Human Rights of ‘Vietnamese Brides’ in China: A mixed methods analysis of cross-border trafficking of women between China and Vietnam
Abstract	China-Vietnam “marriage-based trafficking” is a longstanding and special form of trafficking in women, with historical sources indicating that this crime occurred at the China-Vietnam border in the 18th century and is still present and widely distributed today. What is the current situation of human rights violations and protection of these “Vietnamese brides” in China? By closely examining 150 court judgments between 2018-2025, this thesis aims to summarise the forms of human rights violations suffered by Vietnamese women victims, explore the victimhood that Vietnamese women possess, the protection offered to victims by the criminal justice system and the current legal framework in China based on UN documents. The findings show that most “Vietnamese brides” are at risk of being trafficked multiple times or illegally detained in China, and that their unfamiliarity with the environment, language barriers and subjective willingness make them make them prone to human rights violations. The criminal justice system generally carries out victim identification while investigating the facts of the case, and repatriation remains the mainstream response in terms of subsequent resettlement measures, while respecting the wishes of the victim. China’s localisation of the UN document has resulted in some more victim-friendly improvements in response to the special features of “marriage-based trafficking”. The findings provide important implications for China and Southeast Asian countries where “marriage-based trafficking” exists to better protect the victims of this crime in the future.
Biography	Zhang Xinyi holds a dual bachelor’s degree in law and German from Beijing Normal University (2018-2022), followed by a Master of Science in Crime and Criminal Justice from Leiden University (2022-2023). ZHANG is currently finishing his dissertation as a PhD candidate in Criminal Law at Beijing Normal University (expected graduation 2027). He holds the 2022 Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award from BNU Law School and multiple student leadership awards. With extensive leadership experience, he also served as Vice President of the Law School Student Union (2019-2020). He has led teams multiple times in teaching assistance projects, with a focus on providing legal education to adolescents in rural areas of Western China. His research focuses on resolving rights violations against marginalized groups, particularly exploring the causes of and responses to sexual crime and juvenile delinquency. His work demonstrates strong empirical research skills and a commitment to practical criminal justice applications.