China's worsening economy is pushing large numbers of men to look for work overseas — bad news for China, and an added national security and public safety headache for Taiwan.

• The number of Chinese men entering Taiwan on marriage grounds has surged to a nearly 19-year high, topping 1,000 for the first time.
• Cross-strait marriages used to consist mostly of Chinese women marrying into Taiwan; now it is men relying on sham marriages to get by.
• The reason lies in China's simultaneous collapse in employment and housing: in Guangzhou, apartments in prime locations still go unsold even at a discount, and graduates of elite universities cannot find jobs.
• Beyond money, there is also pressure on speech — one person was detained for several months merely for putting up a poster urging the government to rescue the economy.
• The arrangement does not pay off: brokers' fees, monthly payments to the nominal wife and her cut take away most of the income, and what is gained is mainly the freedom to speak out.

Outlook: As long as China's economy and job market fail to improve, this kind of smuggling-by-sham-marriage job seeking will keep increasing, and Taiwan's enforcement efforts and national security vetting will tighten accordingly.