What is it about?
This article aims to explain the emigration of wealthy Chinese citizens after the 2012 political leadership change, with reference to Hirschman’s model. It builds on the concepts of loyalty and exit in the context of an authoritarian regime with rapid economic growth, to offer insights into the self-declared reasons behind the emigration of these people from China. Based on evidence from 25 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2021 with Chinese emigrants, the analysis outlines the intricate interplay between economic opportunities and the level of control within an authoritarian regime as a cause for emigration.
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Why is it important?
The loyalty of the Chinese middle class to the Chinese Communist Party is shaped, in part, by the economic opportunities and incentives that the Party provides.
Perspectives
This paper focuses on examining the political incentives of wealthy Chinese emigrants to the West. I hope to conduct further research in this area, particularly on the political orientations of the Chinese middle class—a topic that has long been of interest to me.
Dr Grace W. F. Chau
University of Glasgow
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Conditional Loyalty and Exit, Diaspora Studies, February 2024, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/09763457-bja10081.
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