Expats

Chinese Mexican with two wives exposed by network

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-23 09:00

A Chinese Mexican has been arrested on a charge of bigamy after his wives discovered each other on a popular social networking site, Beijing police reported Tuesday.

Police arrested the man surnamed Chang in Zhejiang province on Friday. He was transferred to Beijing on Monday, police said in a press release. His two wives discovered each other last year on Kaixin001, a Chinese version of Facebook, police said.

The discovery was made when one of the wives added Chang's "buddies," which included the other spouse, to her contact list, the release said. The wives soon started chatting and sharing wedding photos revealing their grooms were the same, according to police.

Chang's first spouse, a woman surnamed Li, also from Zhejiang, reported her husband's multiple marriages to Chaoyang district police in March.

Chang married Li, who remained in Zhejiang, in 2005, police said. Later while doing business in Mexico, Chang met a Beijing woman surnamed Wang. They married when Wang learned she was pregnant, the press release reported.

The Chinese Mexican kept the two marriages secret by claiming he was doing business abroad and could not return home frequently. When he did return, he split his time between homes Li's home in Zhejiang and Wang's home in Beijing, police said.

Chang secured a Mexican passport in 2002 while still holding a Chinese passport. Because China does not recognize dual nationality, Chang concealed his Mexican passport in order to conveniently travel between China and other countries, police said.

When the charges were made, Chang canceled his Chinese passport and moved overseas. He was apprehended while secretly visiting his parents, according to the police report.