The English have a much scarier name for it "certificate of no impediment" Now, that would have half the China FT population reaching for their Webster's dictionary.

That's not the only disadvantage in the English system-when you arrive at the British Embassy and you both have completed lots of forms etceteras, they will tell you to sling your hook and return in a month since an announcement of intended marriage will physically be displayed somewhere in the UK while they do their other checks. The American system seems far more streamlined and easier- just wander up to the embassy, have a coffee, chew some gum and take the wretched form home with you. And bloody-hell we can't get extra pages added to our passports; however, they are quite happy to take a sackful of cash and issue you with a new passport.

Be you an English person or an American the next part of the journey is simple in itself but if Little Lotus Blossom lives with you in Kunming yet her home town is in Mongolia she'll have to book herself a hard seat and do some business at her local police station.

By the bye, when you finally get your marriage books (one each) make sure you pay for some marriage certificates which you are not obliged to have, however, if one day you arrive at a Chinese embassy demanding a family L visa your Marriage book they will not want to see, they'll want to take a copy of your Marriage Certificate.