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Buying a way out BEIJING — At 49, Wang Zxxxxxxx has achieved the Chinese equivalent of the American dream. Raised in the cornfields of eastern China's Shandong province, he founded an auto parts business that today has several dozen employees. He has two houses, two cars and, because he's rich enough to pay the fines for defying the country's family planning policy, two . Now, all that is missing — what he covets most — is a foreign passport. "In China, there is so much pressure," said Wang, who recently hired a consulting firm to advise him on his first choice, Australia. He hasn't been there yet, but he's been surfing the Internet and likes what he sees: blue skies, open spaces. "I want to live a relaxed, happy life." The new Chinese emigres have little in common with earlier waves of unskilled laborers or political exiles. They're not going abroad for economic opportunity — they're already wildly successful — or political activism, but for a quality of life that money can't buy in China. A recent poll of Chinese with a net worth of more than 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) found that 16% had obtained foreign residency and that an additional 44% were planning to emigrate. Many cite a polluted atmosphere, and not just in the air they breathe: endemic corruption, a shaky political system, tainted products and poor medical care, among other problems. The exodus of the middle and upper classes is an embarrassment to the government, with possibly serious economic implications because the emigres are taking with them money and skills. In an attempt to prevent capital flight, Chinese laws limit people from taking more than $50,000 a year out of the country, but it is easy enough to get around the restrictions. In effect, the wealthy emigres are buying their new residencies, in what they hope is the first step toward new passports. Many of the foreign programs involve a substantial investment by the prospective expatriates, either in real estate or businesses. The recently renewed U.S. EB-5 visa, for instance, requires $1 million ($500,000 for poor or rural areas) in businesses that create at least 10 jobs. Dozens of consulting firms with names such as Royal Way Ahead Exit and Entry Service Co. have sprung up in recent years, their websites beckoning with photographs of swimming pools and world landmarks, with the Statue of Liberty and Sydney Opera House being among the most popular. Prospective immigrants troll the Internet, browsing real estate listings and schools, examining rankings of the "World's Most Livable Places." "The United States is still everybody's dream, but they worry about crime," said Leon Zxxxxxx president of Xinhaowei Consulting, one of the largest companies advising prospective migrants. "All in all, though, the people who want business opportunities prefer the United States. The young professionals prefer Australia." By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times |
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I agree with you. I also think what many people find in America is that the difference in how life is, when in some parts of China people have more interactive functions in their daily lives. Building a social base is a work in and of itself. I do think if some people move to America and they don't have a network which connects them with others, they can potentially get an isolated feeling. there are certainly pockets of communities that do not embrace foreigners and especially immigrants in a general open way. Now those who have money may have a different experience, but individuals without much money, will certainly need to have a social base they can connect with. I think some people probably find they can do many things in China with their income, than they can do in America with low income. So if people have low income, they may find that going back to China is an options they choose. Equally so, some with money may go back on their own as well because they know with money they have influence and they can get many things open to them in China with their money. China did not focus enough on the environment when it began to build, it was more focused on the idea of gaining industry and generating money. but it will cost a great deal to do environmental clean up and it takes many many years to get it done. China is far different than it was 30 years ago, much has changed in the big cities, and many people who earn a decent income can do much of what ever they can find to do any other place on the planet. As time goes much will change, I do think, that some thing will change where there will be some uprising by the people, because the wide gaps in wealth and poverty in some areas. Also Industrial things will change, where people will force the system to respect workers rights in ways that will change the lives of people. employee safety will have to take a higher position, and when this comes into play, it will make the lives of workers more safe and improve the industry climate. women will continue to gain ground, and as they gain it they will make and force changes, not only in the work place but in the homes and communities as well.
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yes, I watched people in Thailand, go to moves, enjoy the cultural things and enjoy the various eateries and much else, and their income was far less than many other places and certainly in many cases much less than the foreign visitors as myself.. but the people seemed happing to indulge their living. Only when people are dis-satisfied with themselves do they not only miss out on making ways to enjoy their environment, they also miss out on how to manage their resources to indulge their environment in a functional and progressive manner. It does not take going to the most expensive place, nor wearing the most expensive clothes, nor living in the most fancy home.. it takes appreciation of what and where one is and what they are doing.. and have the spirit of good cheer in wanting to do better.. then they don't become to feel desperate nor left out. We should never measure our lives by the depiction shown in commercial television and movies.. It is not a reality that has any depth nor meaning. it is a circle of dis-enchantment and great risk and peril when people pursue such blindly and with vain hopes to emulate it. commercials and movies takes hours and days to make a 2-5 minutes segment... it takes 100's of people to make it look like the fantasy it is. it takes much make up and many many staged takes to get people to smile on cue, and then the smile has to be re-cast because it needs to convey a continual unreal glee. Self appreciation is the great marvel of grace, it is the true glow of natural life, it is where the love in ones heart finds expression unabashed by fiction. Money can buy many things depicted in commercial delusions, but it simply has bought a "thing", and it will rely on the natural appreciation the individual interacts with that "thing", which will determine their joy... not some act to re-create some staged fiction. Life has been lived in China many Centuries, and people gained much knowledge and much wisdom, but too often the chase for illusion of grandeur, has sadden many people and made even more detest their own realism of living. people need to learn from children.. then they can know the natural wonders of life... they may find laughter that is free, and focus that is truly filled with the grace to indulge with the spirit of discovery. We must learn to not let Money become our guardian of joy.
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China, has to consider to abandon the One Child Policy... every 25 years for a nation to be strong it has to have a new population infusion.. Based on numbers, it may have been thought that a billion people could have 30% of that population producing one child, that would be 300 million new children every 25 years. But that program did not find balance. due to changing culture. and as you say a disaster of a social security program for the elderly, the massive industrialization which not only resulted to delay child birth, but it also change the dynamic's of people entering relationship, compound that with the high cycles of divorce rates.. these things change many things. The Country life changed as well, when everything began to flow to the cities, including the people. then followed by various skirmishes of farming people with government about land take overs by the government. As to Thailand, I did meet some wonderful young women, not only are they very engaging they are too comfortable with the intimacies of natural life, but I did appreciate greatly talking to them about their aims and desires for the future. I was quite impressed with some of their ideas. Very pretty girls who were interested in various farming and raising live stock, and other things. These are areas many women in the west if they are pretty would never consider. So I found this to be very inspiring about Thai women. they seem not to take their looks for granted and expect that it should give them a free ride.. I found many who had children, and they sent money to their family who took care of their children. some as they get older, look to make changes in how they earn money, but I also saw young one that were into the thrill and dynamic's of the business climate of pay date services. But there are many things that I found very interesting about the people. They were very considerate and accommodating as social individual in general. What is more so, is the pride people take in jobs, that in the west people take those job for granted. but what is really interesting about some of the few foreign places I've gone, is the care and investment they put into making their cultural things accessible and keeping them in good condition. I rented bikes and rode outside the cities areas and got a chance to see things that were interesting in how people live. I found the girls to take a great care in being clean, and equally so in being considerate and appreciative. I think those things were truly impressive. they were not standoffish when it comes to interacting and meeting. Nor did they make a big issue about going to eat or going to a movie or such things. I did not make fake promises to any of the girls in Thailand. I respect them as individuals.
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