Chinese call time on marriage ads

"Seductive" words have been banned from marriage advertisements in a Chinese city after several people claimed that they had been defrauded.

According to the Beijing News, the city of Zhengzhou will no longer permit marriage brokers to use words which translate as "foxy lady", "handsome guy" and "moneybags" in their adverts, Reuters reports.

This follows a series of complaints from people who said they had been cheated, although it is not clear what is meant by this.

The new rules state that as of Thursday (November 1st), the city government will have to give its approval before marriage brokers can publish any ads and will be banned for life if they do not heed to the new regulations.

In addition, anything from a broker which is worded so that it appears to be an advert about finding travel partners or friends is prohibited, as are adverts for arranged marriages.

Marriage brokers are popular with many Chinese people who want to find a suitable husband or wife for their children, who often look on the internet, in magazines and newspapers as part of their quest.

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