Laowai's Losing Charm

Here is an interesting article about the falling number of marriages between the Chinese natives to foreigners.

http://online.thatsmags.com/post/laowai-losing-their-charm-foreign-marriages-fall-by-11-in-china

The Rich Chinese Fancy A Designer Baby

It is of no surprise that the American citizenship is something many Chinese dream of. 

While countries like Thailand and India offer cheaper surrogacy, the Chinese are looking across the Pacific Ocean for a better option. How Better? Essentially with Chinese DNA, they desire tall, blonde and even holding Ivy League degrees donors. Designer babies; smarter and better looking; boy or girl; their choice. The possibilities are endless, if you can afford it, of course.

Designer babies coming soon!

By U.S. law, anyone born in the States qualifies as an American citizen and can apply for green cards for their parents after they reach 21 years of age. As compared to investor visas, surrogacy is a cheaper route to American passports, costing around $120,000 to $200,000 per package, according to Reuters.

Why is the prospect of American citizenship so shiny?

• First, The Chinese worry about quality of life in a country suffering from choking pollution and various health and food safety scandals.
• Second, some wealthy Chinese say they want a safety net overseas because they fear more social unrest in China.
• Third, the Chinese want their kids to be educated in America, where academic pressure is not nearly as intense as in China.

Surrogacy is illegal in China; but that doesn't stop plenty of shady transactions from taking place in Chinese cities every day. Although the one-child policy has already been relaxed for many segments of society, such as couples who are only children themselves, it remains in effect for others. Families who violate the one-child policy face the prospect of forced abortions, sterilizations and fines, policies that have been most brutally enforced in poor, rural areas.

Two decades is definitely a long time to wait for green cards for Chinese parents of a U.S.-born child. It’s impossible to know whether U.S. citizenship will still hold the same allure in the future. But that doesn’t stop the Chinese. 
The Chinese want it all.