{"id":1538,"date":"2023-10-24T03:59:27","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T19:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2023\/10\/24\/meet-the-american-man-desperate-to-become-chinese\/"},"modified":"2024-06-02T19:36:14","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T11:36:14","slug":"meet-the-american-man-desperate-to-become-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/meet-the-american-man-desperate-to-become-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the American Man Desperate to Become Chinese"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wealthy Chinese people may be lining up to emigrate<\/a> to abroad, but an American man named \u201cBrent W\u201d is heading in the opposite direction. Eight years ago, he moved to China from the Southeastern US state of Florida to take a job as a chief representative.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wealthy Chinese people may be lining up to emigrate to abroad, but an American man named \u201cBrent W\u201d is heading in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

Eight years ago, he moved to China from the Southeastern US state of Florida to take a job as a chief representative with an online Hong Kong company.<\/p>\n

Today, he lives happily in Dongguan, an industrial city in central Guangdong province, with his wife, whom he met in Dongguan in 2010 and married a year later, and her daughter from a previous marriage.<\/p>\n

Last month, Brent W \u2013 he declined to disclose his full name because of his online work combating financial fraud \u2013 achieved an important milestone: he obtained the vaunted \u201cgreen card\u201d that is emblematic of his status as a permanent resident, and his right to live and work permanently in China.<\/p>\n

\"1.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Brent W and his then-new Chinese wife Tu Hui in 2011. Photo: Brent W<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

It also put him on track towards achieving his ultimate goal: becoming a Chinese citizen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough America is a great place, different things appeal to different people,\u201d Brent W said.<\/p>\n

His pursuit of Chinese citizenship comes as Beijing doubles down on a policy of zero tolerance for dual passport holders \u2013 an action left unexplained by the central government.<\/p>\n

More foreigners moving to China for work, study finds<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Brent W said he would have no problem renouncing his American citizenship if he could obtain Chinese citizenship.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t hate America or dislike America,\u201d he said. \u201cI just found I love China and Chinese people a lot more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf giving up one\u2019s American nationality can automatically<\/a> allow the person to get Chinese nationality, I would have become a Chinese citizen years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"2.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Brent W with the green card. Photo: Brent W<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Brent W\u2019s success in getting permanent residency status is noteworthy, given that a high application threshold and strict controls have made China\u2019s green card possibly the hardest in the world to get.<\/p>\n

In the decade following the green card\u2019s introduction in China in 2004, just 7,356 foreigners were granted permanent residency \u2013 a\u00a0minuscule\u00a01.2% of the estimated 600,000 foreigners who lived in the country during that period.<\/p>\n

In 2018, the Ministry of Public Security<\/strong>\u00a0approved green card applications, saying it\u00a0granted 1,881 foreigners permanent residency\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 a 163 percent jump on the previous year. Though getting a green card in China remains a daunting task even with some loosening of the process in recent years. But from 2018 data shows that there are more and more expats getting a\u00a0chance\u00a0to gain a green card.<\/p>\n

\"3.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Brent W captains a boat during the annual Dragon
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

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