Giant demographic changes in Africa have defined most of China’s strategic vision, says Howard French, author of China’s Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa
Howard French is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.
Are you looking for more experts on China’s political ambitions? Do check out this list.
 |
| Rupert Hoogewerf |
Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report, said, “The United States is definitely the first choice for Chinese HNWIs who are considering immigration. London has risen rapidly to become the sixth most popular destination for purchasing overseas property, overtaking Vancouver, Toronto and Melbourne for the first time. It is also interesting to note that 90% of those considering immigration intend to live in China after retirement. I am delighted to release the White Paper for the fifth consecutive year in association with leading Chinese immigration brand Visas Consulting Group. We hope that this report will help Chinese HNWIs (those with family assets worth US$1.5m to US$31m) considering investment immigration make better decisions.”...
This year, Visas Consulting Group and Hurun Research reveal the top ten countries that constitute the Visas Consulting Hurun Report Chinese Immigration Index 2018 (CII 2018) based on the eight categories of education, investment destination preferences, immigration policy, property purchasing, personal taxation levels, medical care, visa-free travel and ease of adaptability. The United States remains the most popular destination for HNWIs investment emigrants for the fourth year running, while the UK has risen from third place to second. Emerging immigration destinations Ireland and Greece performed well, with Ireland moving up four places to third, and Greece occupying sixth place in its debut appearance on the ranking. Canada falls two places to fourth, while Australia is down one place to fifth. Rupert Hoogewerf said, “The United States far surpasses other countries as the first choice of Chinese HNWIs in terms of immigration destinations.”...
The UK climbed from third place to second with a score of 8.5. Despite the UK being set to leave the EU, London remains one of the world's leading financial centers, and British education is regarded as second only to that of the United States. Investment immigration to the UK comes with the benefits of one’s children enjoying an elite British education, and of the family gaining access to its high quality medical and welfare systems. Furthermore, a favourable exchange rate makes investment in the UK more attractive. Rupert Hoogewerf said, “Brexit has had little impact on Chinese entrepreneurs. At present, British property represents good value, with uncertainty over Brexit and the weakness of the pound making it relatively cheap”.More at the Hurun 2018 Report.
 |
| Rupert Hoogewerf |
The United States remains the top destination for rich Chinese investors looking to buy property and move overseas, according to a report released on the weekend.The report, by Hurun Report and Visas Consulting, also said Chinese were more concerned about the depreciation of the yuan and their lack of knowledge about overseas investment.
The assessments were based on interviews conducted between April and July with 304 Chinese who had already emigrated or planned to do so. Their average wealth was 20 million yuan (US$2.95 million or HK$23 million).
Canada was the second most popular destination on the list, followed by Australia. Hong Kong was 15th.
Within the US, the west coast had the greatest allure, particularly Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco. New York remained the fourth most popular city.
For the fourth year in a row, education and “living environment” were the main forces driving rich Chinese overseas, the report said. Another major reason was access to better medical care.
Nearly 20 per cent of the respondents said they were not confident about the country’s growth prospects.
But the survey also revealed barriers to emigration. Almost 30 per cent of those surveyed said long waiting times were the biggest obstacle, followed by language barriers and difficulty in integrating into mainstream society.
“Over the past decade, the number of Chinese rich considering immigration has remained at around 60 per cent, but this year [it] has come down to just under half, the lowest on record, but still not low,” Hurun Report chief researcher Rupert Hoogewerf said.
More in the South China Morning Post.More than 34 per cent of those surveyed said they were considering moving to a different city in China – a sign that property prices might stay high.
 |
| Zhang Lijia |
How had the women you met usually ended up getting into sex work?
Quite a few women I interviewed worked very hard on production lines in factories for very little money. Then they talked among their friends and found out about jobs in massage parlors. In the beginning, the line is often blurred — some places offer legitimate massages and also sexual services, so women will start off doing normal massages and gradually start adding on sexual services when they see how much more money they can make.
Most women are migrant workers from rural areas, some are laid off workers from small towns, especially in Dongbei (China’s struggling northeastern region that’s now often referred to as a rust belt). There are also quite a few older women who are divorced or left abusive husbands and cannot otherwise support themselves. When they leave the countryside for the city, very few plan to get into sex work. It’s a hard decision in most cases. Sometimes it’s because of tragic personal circumstances.
Almost all of the women I knew sent money back to their families — it is out filial duty. One woman I met told me her brother was sent to prison so she supported her sister-in-law and her children for years. I think many of the women need something like that to feel good about themselves and the work they’re doing, so they send a lot of money home. I'm sure they struggle to come to terms with the work, especially since most rural Chinese women grew up with a very conservative upbringing.
I spoke with one woman who said in the beginning that she always used the phrase chi kui (to get the short end of the bargain) when talking about getting paid for sleeping with men. But then an older more experienced women told her, “Don't think like that, we're making use of them.” So she came to terms with it and now tells other women the same thing.
What role do you think gender inequality plays in fueling China’s sex trade?
In my book, Lotus has to stop her schooling because the family thinks they'll just end up marrying her off. Since she’s a girl, there's no point in wasting money on her education. Save the resources for the boy — that’s a common attitude in rural China, especially in the poorest areas. So rural women are generally much worse off than boys in terms of education. The political system, of course, is another problem. Because of the hukou residency system, rural residents still cannot apply for certain jobs. Economic reforms brought a lot of opportunities, but uneducated rural women really missed out.
Ultimately, that’s part of why prostitution is such a big industry in China. With growing wealth and gender income inequality, I think concubine culture plays big a role. Men used to keep concubines and mistresses as a way to show prestige, and they still do the same. The growing wealth gap between urban men and rural women really magnifies this.More at the Asia Society.
 |
| Rupert Hoogewerf |
The proportion of mainland millionaires who say they won’t emigrate has risen for a third straight year to reach a record high, even as a majority say they would like to move to another country, according to a report on Thursday.
About 44.5 per cent of mainland millionaires with personal wealth of more than 10 million yuan, are not planning to emigrate, according to Hurun Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey 2017.
“The year of 2017 could be a turning point,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of the Hurun Report. “The proportion of respondents considering emigration is reflecting stronger confidence.”
More in the South China Morning Post.Still, almost half of those polled said they are considering emigrating as an option, though the figure is down from about 60 per cent in 2008.
 |
| +Wei Gu |
Immigration demand has been subdued in recent years after a rush to leave the city in the 80s, prior to 1997, when the U.K. gave Hong Kong back to China. But it has crept up in recent years due to skyrocketing home prices, high costs of living and pollution.
Eugene Chow, an immigration lawyer at Chow Kong & Associates, said some of the unhappy middle class people are looking for a way out. “A client told me he didn’t want to raise his children in this increasingly polarized society,” said Mr. Chow.
According to calculations by Hong Kong Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, the cost of raising a child from birth to college graduation in Hong Kong averages about 5.5 million Hong Kong dollars (US$710,000) for a middle-class family. (A recent calculation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that the average cost for a middle-class family to raise a child up to college age was $245,340.
Hong Kong’s average home price is equal to 14.9 times gross annual median household income, making it the least affordable city globally in a Demographia survey.
“Lot of frustration has been built in Hong Kong, Occupy Central sparked interest even more,” said Denny Ko, an immigration lawyer at PrimAsia Metropolis Immigration Consulting Ltd, adding that Taiwan has been an attractive destination for middle class Hong Kong people who want an easy place to live nearby.More at the Wall Street Journal.
