Conditional runners heading overseas Chinese are voting with their feet. Recently, a student from Zhejiang University, who was a key figure cultivated by the authorities, was exposed to have applied to study in the United States, despite stating at the graduation ceremony, “Shine in the most needed place in our motherland.”
According to reports from The Paper, on June 22, at the graduation ceremony and degree awarding ceremony for the undergraduate class of 2024 at Zhejiang University, Yang Jinwen, a graduate from the School of Foreign Languages at Zhejiang University, spoke as a student representative. She said, “I hope that we can all become resilient idealists and shine in the most needed place in our beloved China.”
In recent days, news about her application to study in the United States has been widely reported by mainland Chinese media. According to articles published by numerous mainland media outlets such as Sina, Sohu, and Netease, informed sources revealed that Yang Jinwen has applied for a graduate program in law at the University of California, Berkeley, crossing disciplines.
According to information from Zhejiang University’s official website, Yang Jinwen, a 2020 undergraduate student, was a student key figure cultivated by the authorities. Yang Jinwen is a Communist Party member, majoring in translation at the School of Foreign Languages, Zhejiang University, with a minor in law. She has received national scholarships, scholarships from the Zhejiang provincial government, and school scholarships for three consecutive years. She is also a member of the Zhejiang University School of Foreign Languages’s “Telling China’s Story” lecture team and has served as president of the Zhejiang University Student Law Research Association.
This news quickly sparked heated discussions on the internet. Netizens expressed various opinions, with some saying, “Hey, she just read from the script, how can that represent her own thoughts? At least it was coordinated.” “In the past twenty years, student cadres in universities have been the majority in this kind of situation.” “Contradiction between words and actions, isn’t this the selfishness that current university education emphasizes?” “Training to tell lies from a young age, is indeed the result of education.” “Even many provincial and ministerial-level officials, even vice-national leaders, say one thing on stage and do another off stage.” “This is standard practice. From the central government to local authorities, from universities to kindergartens, whatever is said on stage is not much different from nonsense.”
Some netizens also expressed, “I wonder if she can find a suitable job in the country, it’s difficult within the system, can she work as a lawyer’s assistant?” “This is not surprising, many top officials and elite people shout patriotism, yet go to the US? Wealth has already flowed away.” “These talents are truly understanding the reality.” “Dreams truly make everyone understand the meaning of dreams.” “In my opinion, most of us are just lacking the conditions, if given the choice, we would all do the same as her.”
It’s not just Yang Jinwen, more and more Chinese people are choosing to accelerate their departure, including the wealthy and well-educated who are also voting with their feet.
On June 18, the international investment immigration consulting company Henley & Partners released the “2024 Henley Private Wealth Immigration Report,” stating that Chinese wealthy individuals are choosing to leave mainly due to the economic uncertainty in China, geopolitical tensions, and the lure of overseas opportunities, prompting many to seek new development directions.