中國富人的移民潮

白手起家的百萬富翁李偉傑在北京郊外經營著自己的滑雪兼高爾夫球場，他覺得自己很愛國，所以他在大門口矗立起毛澤東真人大小的雕像，放在一個4米高的築台上。但是，毛主席要是知道李偉傑很自豪地持有加拿大居民證，毛主席會怎麼想？「我想接受發達國家的教育體系和醫療體系。」李說。李今年43歲，同時還經營一家北京最大的私人計程車公司，擁有兩種車輛的銷售代理權和一家房地產公司。李在溫哥華西區有套價值600萬美元的房子，當地人只知道房子的主人是個有錢的中國人。他的妻子在溫哥華開著一輛黑色的邁巴赫，他20歲的兒子開著一輛深灰色的瑪莎拉蒂去不列顛哥倫比亞大學上課。他的妻兒現已定居在加拿大了。

What began as a trickle a decade ago when Li moved his family to Canada has become a flood as China』s new rich seek foreign passports or residency permits (commonly known as green cards in the U.S.) largely from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand. More than 500,000 Chinese have investable assets of over 10 million yuan ($1.57 million), according to a joint survey released in April by China Merchants Bank and Bain & Co. The study says almost 60 percent are considering emigrating, have begun the process, or have emigrated.

李是十年前和家人移民去加拿大的，那時候，還很少人這麼做。現在越來越多的中國新富如潮水一般尋求國外護照或是居住許可（在美國，通常叫綠卡），大部分護照都是美國，加拿大，澳大利亞，新加坡，還有紐西蘭。根據中國招商銀行和美國Bain&Co諮詢在4月份發布的調查顯示，超過500，000人擁有海外資產，資產超過1千萬元（157萬美元）。報告指出差不多60%的人正在考慮移民，或是正在辦理移民和已經移民。

In the U.S.so far this year almost3,000Chinese citizens have applied for investor visas,up from270in2007.That』s78percent of the total applicant pool for this type of visa,according to U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS).The U.S.investor visa,also known as the EB-5,requires a minimum investment of$500,000by the applicant in a commercial project in the U.S.that employs at least10Americans within two years.If the Chinese applicants can』t generate those jobs,they and their family may have to leave the U.S.

相較於2007年的270人，今年幾乎有3000中國居民在美國申請投資簽證。根據美國公民及移民機構(USCIS)數據顯示,78%的申請人是申請合夥投資。美國投資簽證，也叫EB-5,申請人必須在美國投資至少500,000美元的商業項目，兩年內聘請至少10位美國人。如果中國申請人無法提供這些工作崗位，申請人及其家屬必須離開美國。

The drive to emigrate makes for brisk business for people like Jason Zhang,a broker at Realty Direct Boston,a branch of a nationwide chain.Zhang』s office specializes in settling Chinese in the Boston area.He says this year he has already helped dozens of Chinese families purchase homes and cars(theémigrés often pay in cash,he says)and find the right schools for their children,up from just two or three families in total a few years ago.Wealthy suburbs like Weston and Lexington are top choices.

移民潮給像傑森.張這樣的人帶來了事業上的春天。他在全國華人房地產的分支機構波士頓華人房地產做經紀人，他的業務主要是幫助波士頓地區的華人置業。他說今年幫助了幾十個華人家庭購置了房產和車子（他說，這些人通常付現金），還有幫這些家庭的小孩找到了合適的學校，而幾年前，這樣的業務一年只有兩三單。像韋斯頓和列剋星敦市的郊外房產最受人青睞。

For the most part,China』s richest aren』t permanently fleeing their country,as some Russian oligarchs have.About80percent of the wealthy Chinese emigrating don』t plan on giving up their passports,according to an October survey by the Bank of China and Shanghai-based Hurun Report,which publishes an annual ranking of China』s richest people.Instead,the most common model is that of Li Weijie:Wife and child get foreign passports and live abroad,husband gets a residency permit but spends most of his time in China. 「If you think of emigrating like Russians,it is because they are afraid and so are leaving their country,」says Hurun』s founder,Rupert Hoogewerf. 「This is not true of the wealthy Chinese at all.They still have their businesses in China and most of their assets are in yuan.」

大多情況，中國富人不像俄羅斯富人那樣，一去不返。根據10月份中國銀行和上海胡潤報告中顯示，80%的中國富人移民不想取消他們的護照。實際上，通常的情況就像李偉傑這樣：妻兒居住在海外但有護照，自己取得綠卡但長時間待在國內。「如果你以為中國富人移民和俄羅斯一樣，因為害怕在國內生活而離開國家，那你就錯了，中國的富人完全不是這樣。他們在國內還有生意，他們大部分資產依舊是人民幣。」胡潤百富榜創始者人胡潤說道。

So why are they looking at residency abroad?The top motive cited is to pursue better educational opportunities for their children,according to the Bank of China-Hurun and China Merchants-Bain surveys,as well as comments fromémigrés.The feeling among rich Chinese is that U.S.universities beat out their Chinese equivalents,and their children need to understand the world. émigrés note that top Chinese leaders such as Xi Jinping,likely China』s next president,send their children abroad to study.Escaping dire air quality and food safety problems are also factors.

那為什麼他們要盯著綠卡呢？根據中國胡潤銀行和招商銀行的調查及富人移民的意見整理得出，主要的目的是給孩子創造更好的教育機會。在他們眼裡，美國大學比中國大學優秀，他們孩子需要了解世界。他們提到國家領導人像中國的下任主席習近平，也把他的孩子送到國外讀書了。還有空氣質量問題和食品安全問題也是移居海外的因素。

Moving a family abroad and obtaining foreign residency cards could also prove useful in case of sudden legal or policy shifts that hurt entrepreneurs,or if social unrest reaches a boiling point.So-called mass incidents—riots,strikes,and protests—doubled in five years,to180,000in2010,Sun Liping,a professor at Beijing』s Tsinghua University,wrote in a Feb. 25article in the Economic Observer. 「Some people in China are talking about class conflicts against rich people,」says Wang Xiaolu,deputy director of the National Economic Research Institute in Beijing. 「Maybe some of those emigrating or getting residency are worrying about possible policy changes turning China『left』that will put them in danger.」

舉家移居海外、取得綠卡在面對法律或政策突變的時候也很管用。法律政策突變或是社會不安情緒達到頂點，這些都對企業家們很不利。北京清華大學教授孫立平在2月15號《經濟觀察報》上一篇文章中寫到，發生像暴亂、罷工、抗議等一般群眾事件由2005年的90,000件翻倍到2010年的180,000件。「在中國，人們議論著對富人的階級鬥爭，也許，有些富人移民擔心著政策改變，中國又朝「左」走了，那他們可遭殃了。」北京國民經濟研究所所長王小魯說道。

Oneémigréin Boston(who asked only that his last name,Yang,be used since he still owns a factory in China)points out that the Chinese government spent more money on internal security(549billion yuan)than on defense(534billion yuan)in2010.He says that if things got ugly,the rich would be targets not just for being rich but for their close connections with the government.Most of China』s wealthy have an「original sin,」or some illegality relating to earning their「first bucket of gold,」says Yang.

一位波士頓的富人移民（他只說他姓楊，因為他在中國還有個工廠，怕人知道他是誰）說2010年中國在維穩上花費了5490億美元，而國防只花5340億美元，維穩比國防費用還多。他說如果社會變得動蕩，富人不僅是因為有錢而成為攻擊目標，更因為和政府密切相連而成為眾矢之的。楊說，大多中國富人都有「原罪」，有些人的「第一桶金」都是非法手段賺取的。

「China develops so fast,and the society is unstable,」says Shengxi「Tina」Tian,an attorney at MT Law,a firm based in Burlington,Mass.,that helps wealthy Chinese emigrate to the U.S.Tian points out that theémigrés appreciate the rule of law in the U.S.,Canada,and elsewhere.

「中國發展太快了，導致社會不穩定。」位於馬薩諸塞州伯林頓市MT律師事務所的律師Tina說道。她負責處理中國富人移居美國的事務，她說，中國富人比較欣賞美國、加拿大等發達國家的法律法規。

Some wealthyémigrés are nervous talking openly about why they have sought foreign residencies. 「For us businessmen,we go wherever is safe,」says another recentémigréin Boston. 「China』s political system and legal system make us feel insecure,」says the businessman,who still runs a furniture business in Shanghai and would not allow his or his company』s name to be used.He later refused to talk further and instead declared his devotion to the Party.

一些富人移民對於公開談論他們為什麼追求海外定居的緣由很緊張。波士頓一個富人移民說：「對我們商人來說，我們去哪都是安全的（除了中國），中國的政治體系和法律體系讓我們感到不安。」他在上海經營一家傢具公司，他不讓我把他的名字和公司的名字寫在文章中。後來，他拒絕透露更多細節，因為他說他是很忠於黨的。

In China,more than800licensed emigration service companies(and possibly hundreds more without proper government approvals)coach applicants for visa interviews,help them fill out forms,and identify possible overseas investments.Beijing-based Well Trend United,one of China』s oldest and largest emigration service companies,charges up to$30,000per client.Well Trend,which has offices in10of China』s largest cities and more than400visa consultants and agents,says it has helped more than10,000Chinese get overseas visas since it opened in1995.Business will remain strong for at least another decade,says founder Larry Wang. 「It helps the U.S.get certain capital while Chinese can realize their dream of seeing the world.It』s supply and demand.」

在中國，有超過800家合法的移民中介公司（同時可能也有幾百家沒有許可的中介公司）教導申請人如何通過簽證面試，填寫各種表格，準確投資海外資產。中國經營最久規模最大的移民中介公司之一北京和中聯合（Beijing-based Well Trend United）公司向每位申請者收取高達30000美元的中介費。和中在中國十大城市都有辦公點，擁有400位簽證顧問和代理人，自1995年成立以來，已成功幫助超過10000名中國人取得海外簽證。公司創始人王力民說移民業務至少還得繁榮十年，「通過移民美國人可以拿到錢，中國人可以實現開眼界的夢想。這叫一個願打，一個願挨。」

A serious issue for both the Chinese applicants and their prospective host countries is the origin of their wealth.To ensure that those with criminal backgrounds aren』t let in,and to make sure they』re truly affluent,officials of the U.S.,Canada,and other countries want thorough documentation of their assets.That can be difficult. 「Wealthy Chinese almost all have a history of evading taxes,」says Gao Tong,who emigrated to Boston six years ago and is now setting up his own immigration services company called Harmonia Capital USA,with his brother,a wealthy Shanghai businessman. 「They fear getting caught if they have to report their income globally.」

現在申請人和申請國共同面臨著一個嚴峻的問題就是申請人財產的來源。為了保證不讓有犯罪背景的人進來，同時也證明申請人是真的有錢，美國，加拿大還有其他國家的移民機構都要申請人遞交全部的資產文件。這確實困難！「中國富人幾乎都有逃稅的歷史，」六年前移民到波士頓，現在和他的兄弟上海富商合夥開一家叫Harmonia Capital USA移民機構的老闆高通說道，「如果他們對外上報收入，他們擔心會被抓起來。」

Some middlemen collude with clients to forge documents,say Well Trend executives,since manyémigrés don』t have papers to prove the origin of their finances,or they may have gotten rich through illicit means. 「There are more than a few bad apples,」says Victor Lum,a vice-president at Well Trend and a former Canadian visa official. 「USCIS takes allegations regarding EB-5program malfeasance very seriously,」USCIS spokesman Christopher Bentley wrote in an e-mail.

和中的高管說道，一些中間人和代理人勾結一起，偽造假文件。因為很多富人移民沒有財產的原始憑證，或者他們是通過非法渠道致富，沒法出具證明。「有問題的人可不只一些，」和中的副總裁，曾任加拿大簽證官維克托.朗（Victor Lum）說到。美國移民局發言人克里斯多夫.賓利（Christopher Bentley）在郵件中寫道：「EB-5計劃若涉及瀆職行為，美國移民局追究其法律責任是十分嚴厲的。」

Longer term,if China』s economy continues to grow,the emigration surge could abate.Ski resort entrepreneur Li says some of his friends are reconsidering plans to get foreign residency.In part that』s because of stricter rules in Canada and elsewhere.And while rich Chinese still crave Canadian or U.S.degrees for their children,they may see less reason to emigrate. 「When I first went to Canada,I thought China was very backward and it would take50years for us to catch up,」says Li. 「After10years,we can all see that China will absolutely surpass the rest of the world.」

長遠來看，如果中國經濟繼續發展，移民潮可減退。李偉傑說，他的一些朋友正重新考慮海外定居的計劃。一部分原因是移民加拿大和其他地方，要求越來越嚴。還有如果中國富人的小孩可以在國內考取加拿大或是美國的學位，那麼他們移民的原因也就少了一條。李說道：「當我第一次來加拿大，我認為中國真的很落後，要50年才能趕上人家。而我們現在看，再過十年，中國將會完完全全地超過世界的其他國家。」

推薦閱讀：