Child trafficking from south-west to south-east China: An investigation of Fujian Province as a final destination

Fujian Province has been confirmed by several studies as one of China's hotspot destinations for child trafficking, making it a typical region for understanding the characteristics, routes, and causes of child trafficking. This study explores these issues in Fujian Province using publicly available data from a public-interest missing persons website. The results indicate that trafficked children in Fujian were predominantly infant aged. Trafficked children clearly flowed from south-west to south-east China, with Guizhou Province a major source of trafficking and Fujian Province as the primary destination, particularly between 1980 and 2000. Quanzhou and Putian have consistently been key node cities in Fujian's child-trafficking network. Furthermore, we find that the purchase of trafficked children is viewed by individuals as a means to resolve reproductive issues, maintain family lineage, and address other related concerns. This demand lowers the threshold for criminality and reduces the strength of crime regulation at the community and societal levels through interpersonal networks.