China's housing market makes moving abroad cheaper than buying at home
In June 2010, the average price for buying an apartment in Shanghai rose to RMB 20,733 per square meter, according to Anjuke.com, one of the city’s most popular real estate websites. This means that to own a 100 square meter apartment in Shanghai, you need to fork out more than RMB 2 million (and that’s before taxes).
The notoriously high property prices in China's big cities like Shanghai and Beijing have turned netizens' attention to a seemingly unrelated issue: emigrating.
A group of Internet users have suggested in a recent article on the popular news website QQ.com that it is cheaper to file for immigration to developed countries like Canada, Australia or the United States than to buy property in China.
“An investment of RMB 2.35 million gets you a green card for Canada, RMB 4.54 million for Australia, RMB 9.62 for Singapore and RMB 3.42 million for the United States,” asserts the article. It continues that this amount of money would be what you'd need to “buy an apartment in Shanghai or Beijing.”
An article on QQ.com titled “Why spend RMB 800,000 to immigrate?” asserts that there are many reasons people consider emigrating from China, but the group now affected by the real estate market price climb are a different demographic than earlier generations. They are “middle class people who want to plan a better future for their children,” the piece says. Being able to afford a home is just one part of this issue.
The post puts together a list of benefits that migrating to the United State (theoretically) offers. The list spans issues from fines for a second child in China (approximately RMB 240,000 according to the piece) and the availability of student loans in the United States, to cheaper property price and bluer skies outside China's borders.
“The reason so many Chinese people choose to emigrate,” writes the article, “is because no one would want their child to drink tainted milk, fight to go to university or queue for jobs at Foxconn.” And more importantly, a U.S. passport gives you freedom to travel anywhere in the world, adds the article. Real estate prices are now just the newest marketing slogan.
Surprisingly, few sparks from China’s deeply ingrained nationalism have arisen as people commented on these posts, and many netizens have expressed their support for people who chose to move.
QQ.com user Xiuyu Linzhong says, “I love my country but it doesn't love me. I work hard during the day, but can’t afford a place at night. I want to emigrate too, but I just don't have the money.”
“Everyone should have the right to choose what they want,” comments Dang huakai nashi from Zunyi. “Who doesn't want a better environment to live? I'd emigrate too if I had the money.”
Netizen Hu Yue, from Shandong, also expresses frustration with an issue close to the hearts of many young, middle-class Chinese, the problem of 'child slaves', those who consider themselves burdened with the costs of raising their children. “We have to save every penny for our kid to go to kindergarten and live in a newly built high rise building.”
Those who voice opposition, do so much less vehemently than they did a few years ago when some high-profile Chinese stars gave up their Chinese passports and none of the issues surrounding the birth of Yao Ming’s American-born daughter’s citizenship were raised either. It appears that netizens' passionate nationalism is reserved for Chinese celebrities, while the post-1980s generation concentrates on the issues directly affecting their daily lives.
Posted by jialilyus on June 23, 2010 09:43 AM | Permalink
