In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese citizens have successfully immigrated through overseas investment and property purchases, with the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand becoming their primary destinations. A recent survey by a think tank shows that as of 2013, the stock of Chinese overseas immigrants reached 9.343 million, an increase of 128.6% over 23 years. In 2011, mainland Chinese individuals with investable assets exceeding 6 million yuan held approximately 33 trillion yuan in assets, of which 2.8 trillion yuan had been transferred overseas, accounting for about 3% of the mainland's 2011 GDP. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of State, the number of people who obtained conditional EB-5 green cards in 2012 was 6,124, which is 2.5 times that of 2011 and 7.9 times that of 2010. Clearly, they are a group of people who have the conditions to "vote with their feet" and the opportunity to "view the country from the perspective of the world."
Immigration means leaving one's home in China to establish a new home in a foreign land. For individuals, immigration is a private right that should be respected rather than subjected to moral condemnation. Economics suggests that people are rational; when deciding to engage in a certain behavior, especially a significant one, they must conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Only when the benefits outweigh the costs will they take action. When considering acquiring foreign citizenship, people also calculate the "gains" and "losses." A decision is made only when the "gains" exceed the "losses." The "gains" of acquiring foreign citizenship include: greater protection for personal development and rights, more convenient international travel without the need for visas, and increased investment rights. The aforementioned survey also shows that environmental and medical standards have become the two main reasons for Chinese immigration, with nearly 70% of respondents citing these as important factors. This also means that the better environment and medical standards abroad are two major benefits of immigration for Chinese people.
"Voting with your feet" was first proposed by American economist Charles Tiebout: under the assumptions of unrestricted population mobility, the existence of numerous local governments, identical tax systems across jurisdictions, no benefit spillovers between jurisdictions, and perfect information, residents can freely choose to settle in places that best satisfy their preferences based on the combination of public goods and tax burdens provided by different local governments. Residents can move out of areas that do not meet their preferences and move into areas that do. Of course, immigration is no longer a zero-sum game; it can benefit both the source and destination countries, with the only difference being which one benefits more directly.