In recent years, the number of registered marriages between Guangdong and Taiwan citizens has increased year by year and the age gap between couples has gradually reduced – now less than 20 percent of old men are with a young wife, according to the first National Harmonious Family Forum in Guangzhou on November 12, chinaview.cn reported.

From 1990 to 2006, the total number of such marriage was 15,548. Before 1996 the annual number was several hundreds while it was more than 1,000 after 1997. In 2006, there were 1,079 Guangdong citizens who married Taiwan citizens, accounting for three percent of the national number who got married with Taiwan citizens, the report said.

Chen Wanling, a researcher of Guangdong Bureau of Civil Affairs, said that there was a large percentage of old men with a young wife in the early stages of marriages between Guangdong and Taiwan citizens. In recent years, however, less than 20 percent of Taiwan men have married mainland women who are 20 years younger. Nearly 98 percent of such marriages are mainland wives and Taiwan husbands. Those brides pay more attention to the economic aspect on their marriage, while some grooms want to settle down in the mainland and others want to invest in the mainland. Moreover, some Taiwan men can't find the right partner in their hometown so they marry women in mainland.

Chen said some couples have divorced because of the lack of knowing for each other, living apart, the age gap and regarding marriage as a way to make money.