【英语中国】逃避民怨 中国富人移民海外

Maryland and New Jersey aren't the only ones experiencing wealth flight.

An article in the Straits Times says the rich in China are increasingly fleeing home to avoid taxes, government crackdowns and rising popular resentment.

Some of the most popular destinations include Australia, Canada, Singapore and the U.S. While there are no specific data on the emigration of rich Chinese, the article says the number of Beijing applicants for investment-immigration visas to the U.S. doubled last year to about 1,000, according to statistics from the Beijing Entry and Exit Service Association.

The visa grants permanent residency in exchange for an investment of $500,000 or more in certain troubled sectors or regions.

Taxes are a big driver (yes, the U.S. is still lower than some countries), but security and peace-of mind also play a role. With the gap between rich and poor skyrocketing in China, the wealthy are feeling increasingly uncomfortable. 'Many of these people-even the ones who are not so rich-see that the social situation in China is not stable, and will seize the opportunity to move overseas to places with less social friction,' said sociology professor Li Lulu of Renmin University.

We have our own rising resentments and wealth gaps, of course. But they pale compared to China's. And for the sake of perspective, it is worth noting that at a time when the American rich feel persecuted, the U.S. is still a highly hospitable place to be rich.

Do you think China is a better place to be rich than America?

Bloomberg News中国国航与中国东航的飞机正在北京首都国际机场排队起飞。

新加坡《海峡时报》(Straits Times)一篇文章说，有越来越多的中国富人正在逃离祖国，以避开征税、政府打压和不断沸腾的民怨。

最受欢迎的目的地包括澳大利亚、加拿大、新加坡和美国。虽然没有具体数据显示有多少中国富人移民海外，但文章说，北京因私出入境中介机构协会的统计数据显示，去年北京申请赴美投资移民签证的人数翻了一番，达到1,000人左右。

有了这种签证，申请人通过向特定困难行业或地区投资50万美元，可以换得在美国的永久居留权。

避税是一个重要因素，因为美国的税负确实还是低于某些国家，另外身心安宁也是一个原因。在中国贫富差距急剧扩大的情况下，富人越来越觉得不安。中国人民大学社会学教授李路路说，这些人当中，有很多人──包括一些不怎么富裕的人──都觉得中国的社会形势并不稳定，他们会抓住机会移民海外，前往社会矛盾较少的地方。

在美国，当然民愤和收入差距也是在不断上升，但比起中国来就算小巫见大巫了。换一种角度看，虽然现在美国富人感觉受到了迫害，但美国仍然是一个非常适宜富人生活的地方。

你认为中国是不是一个比美国更适合做富人的国度呢？