Spatiotemporal Differentiation and the Formation Mechanism of Transnational Women Trafficking in Anhui Province

Abstract

The crime of transnational human trafficking significantly impacts social stability and state relations, and thus, deserves in-depth research from a geographical perspective. Based on 2008-2022 case data on the transnational trafficking of women in Anhui Province, obtained from "China Judgments Online," this study uses statistical and spatial analysis methods to comprehensively explore group characteristics, spatial-temporal differentiation, and the formation mechanism of transnational women trafficking in Anhui. The results show that: (1) Tripartite-group characteristics are significantly different. The perpetrators are mainly young and middle-aged men, with a general education level of junior high school or below, mostly from the Han and Miao ethnic groups. Most victims are primarily from four countries-Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos-with Vietnamese women making up the largest group. Victims are generally abducted into China voluntarily, on the pretext of finding a job to earn money. After the crime, most are repatriated to their home countries or stay voluntarily in the place of abduction. Most buyers are male farmers of marriageable age and their parents. (2) Transnational women trafficking in Anhui has followed a "peak" trend overall; It has evolved through three stages: low volatility in 2003-2009, volatile growth in 2010-2017, and rapid decline in 2018-2020. This pattern has evidently been affected by China's population policy, anti-trafficking efforts, and website-platform development. (3) Transit provinces are distributed in an arc, with the highest incidence in Yunnan, Jiangxi, and Anhui, in that order. Transit cities have a significant adjacent-boundary feature, with Wenshan, Jingdezhen, Honghe, and Lincang as the main points of contact. The destination cities show north-south parallel double arcs distribution pattern, radiating eastward, which radiate eastwards. The northern arc is dominated by Fuyang, Bozhou, and Suizhou, while the southern arc is dominated by Anqing, Hefei, and Maanshan. The destination counties are evidently characterized by geographic proximity. Northern Anhui exhibits the characteristics of scattered-point distribution, while central Anhui is generally patchy around the high-incidence areas. The main crime paths, including Vietnam to Wenshan Prefecture; Yunnan Province to Hanshan County and Maanshan City; Cambodia to Jingdezhen City; and Jiangxi Province to Lujiang County and Hefei City, constitute a channel from countries neighboring China into Anhui through the border or inland provinces. (4) Push-pull theory is combined with telecoupling theory to explore the formation mechanism of transnational women trafficking in many parts of Anhui. Finally, based on the research results, prevention and control countermeasures are proposed, and future research avenues are explored.

Keywords

• transnational women trafficking
• crime path
• push-pull effect
• theory of the telecoupling framework
• anhui province