Signing service contracts and providing fixed business venues will become mandatory for matchmakers, an official said on Friday.

The move will be a major part of the country's first national guideline to regulate matchmaking services, said Wang Weiming, general secretary to the Marriage Matchmaking Services Committee of China Social Work Association.

A woman disguises her identity with  a mask as she arrives at a matchmaking party for single young beauties and millionaire men in Shanghai, November 3, 2007. Each of the partygoers paid 58,800 yuan to take part in the event organized by a matchmaking website. [CFP]

The regulation, called the National Standard System on Marriage Matchmaking Services, is likely to be approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the next few weeks.

It will for the first time offer a clear definition of match making agencies, that is, those who have legal approval to introduce couples, especially for marriage.

More importantly, it will make people availing the services to get a partner to spell out in clear terms their real purpose. Also, they will be made to furnish their personal information.

"The majority of matchmaking agencies don't provide any written contracts. They do business merely through oral promises, instead," Wang said.

So the regulation will have detailed provisions of the service scope, quality, management system, as well as punishment for violations.

For example, dating time, location and methods recommended by matchmaking agencies have to be acceptable to both parties.

The booming online dating sector, including those in the business simply to introduce people for friendship, has for the first time been brought under the supervision.

Apart from having a fixed business address, dating website companies should also meet the criteria for website design and management.

Data show China has more than 20,000 traditional matchmaking agencies and clubs, employing about 200,000 people, and over 6,000 dating websites.

Dating websites are one of the hottest slices of China's emerging Internet market, with 130 million users. Most major ones are based in Beijing.

Shanghai-based iResearch forecast in July that the country's Net-dating and "friend-making" sector is likely to hit US$80 million next year.

"The regulation will inject new vigor in large-scale regular matchmaking agencies because those with poor quality and low reputation will be kicked out of the market," said Gong Haiyan, founder and chief executive of www.jiayuan.com, a matchmaking website.

China has a history of matchmakers, or hong niang (auspicious red mother), and they have enjoyed a sweet reputation from ancient times.

"The growing industry has made great contributions toward building a harmonious society" despite having suffered some credibility crisis in recent years, Wang said.

Its impact can be gauged from the fact that seven out of every 100 couples in Shanghai have met through matchmaking agencies.

(China Daily November 10, 2007)