Spouses in Taiwan from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) had reached 262,000 by the end of 2007.

Figures released by the Taiwan authority on Monday showed that more than 135,000 couples registered for marriages in Taiwan last year, according to Taiwan media reports.

Among the registered, 24,700 were marriages between one Taiwan resident and one spouse not from the island. More than 15,000 spouses were from the Chinese mainland, HKSAR and MSAR.

Among the spouses not from the island, the number of brides was much higher than that of the bridegrooms.

Last year, 14,600 brides and only 550 bridegrooms were from the mainland, HKSAR and MSAR.

Taiwan has a population of about 23 million.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2008)