Trafficking of Children and Women
Domestically, official government figures indicate 10,000 women and children are trafficked each year. About 10 percent of the victims are children—mainly boys under five, but cases of trafficking in baby girls have been reported in various parts of the country. Women are trafficked primarily for sale as wives or sex workers. Most victims are taken from poor rural Western parts of China and trafficked to more affluent areas such as coastal provinces. More concerted efforts by the government and local communities as well as increasing social awareness in the country have led to a gradual decline in domestic trafficking. Chinese government is currently drafting a National Plan of Action against Trafficking. It's expected to finalize and submit for approval by the State Council by the end of 2007.
Cross-border trafficking, by contrast, appears to be on the rise. If current trends continue, China could soon become Asia's trafficking hub. Some studies indicate the majority of all regional trafficking cases are China-related. Victims are trafficked into China from Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia, Russia, and Nepal, and trafficked out of China to regions including Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau. Women have traditionally been sold as wives but increasingly are being pressed into prostitution as well. Traffickers are also seeking younger victims. UNICEF is working with Chinese government to combat cross-border trafficking by piloting community based prevention models, and advocating for policy improvement on more efficient law enforcement cooperation against human trafficking crimes, repatriation and reintegration of victims.
