Elite Forum: The Great Escape Strikes Again, even the Second Generation Reds Want to Flee

In recent years, a large number of mainland Chinese have been emigrating overseas, including wealthy individuals, the middle class, and ordinary people. Many believe that this is actually a form of soft resistance. Throughout Chinese history, the act of people fleeing has always been a form of defiance against rulers. Since the Chinese Communist Party seized power in 1949, there have been several waves of mass exodus, including during the Cultural Revolution. Today, with the economy sharply deteriorating and political persecution becoming more brutal, a new wave of fleeing to the United States has been ignited in the mainland.

According to veteran media personality Guo Jun on NTD’s “Elite Forum” program, the current population of Hong Kong is over seven million, with approximately two-thirds of the people having fled from the mainland or their descendants. In 1945, Hong Kong had only 600,000 residents, but by 1949 it had grown to 1.8 million, and by 1950 it reached 2.2 million, with the majority fleeing from the Communist Party to seek refuge in Hong Kong.

The act of fleeing can be categorized into broad escape and narrow escape. Broad escape refers to people who exit with proper documentation, while narrow escape refers to those who clandestinely cross borders. Broad escape actually began in 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party took control of the mainland, forcing a large number of Shanghai capitalists to flee, now referred to as capital withdrawal and immigration. Among the intellectuals who left were many notable figures including Zhang Ailing, Jin Yong, Qian Mu, Li Ka-shing, the father of former Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, the father of former Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, and the father of Chow Yun-fat, among others.

Narrow escape began in the 1950s. Due to Hong Kong being the only densely populated area in mainland China with relatively convenient transportation, there was a significant influx of people. A well-known case is Jimmy Lai, the owner of the Hong Kong Apple Daily, who crossed over in the 1960s. Despite attempts to limit the number of mainlanders entering Hong Kong, many still managed to escape during subsequent movements and crackdowns by the Chinese Communist Party.

The policy of restricting entry to Hong Kong was established by dividing the territory into three regions: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories. When too many people started fleeing to Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government could only restrict entries in the New Territories. As long as individuals made it to Hong Kong Island or within the boundaries of Kowloon, as a Chinese or ethnic Chinese person, they would be granted identification based on Qing dynasty laws, akin to a safe base in baseball.

Escape from the mainland actually began during the Guangdong land reform era. Guo Jun recounted a story where a friend’s mother, a teacher, fled from Guangzhou to Hong Kong with her children during that tumultuous period. The Great Chinese Famine drove many people from the once prosperous Pearl River Delta to seek sustenance in Hong Kong, the most food-abundant place. Guangdong Province faced extreme hardship during the Great Chinese Famine, prompting widespread migration to Hong Kong.

The late 1980s saw a surge in mass exodus just before China’s economic reforms. Xi Zhongxun, then leading Guangdong Province, recognized the stark contrast between its economy and Hong Kong’s. He proposed pilot projects to jumpstart Guangdong’s economy, which laid the groundwork for China’s initial phase of reform and opening up. However, the political leaders at the time viewed the mass exodus as a stain on their governance.

Today, it is evident that the Chinese economy is in serious trouble. The Communist Party has deemed economic topics as highly politically sensitive, with individuals being punished for discussing issues such as the stock market. The Chinese government’s reluctance to address the true economic situation signifies a grave state of affairs. Despite official figures showing a 5% growth, those with even a basic understanding of economics are aware that China’s economic data is heavily inflated and unreliable.

In recent years, both the wealthy and average citizens have been fleeing en masse, with significant amounts of capital leaving the country annually. Those with means are looking to protect their assets, while those without are fleeing to the US or other countries like never before.

As expressed by a red second-generation interviewee in New York, even the elites are looking for ways to relocate their assets and escape the country. The sentiment of “Better to flee a tyrannical state than live in chaos” resonates among many Chinese who are seeking to escape the Chinese Communist regime.

The “Elite Forum” television program, produced by NTD and Epoch Times, gathers global elite figures to focus on hot topics, analyze global trends, and provide in-depth insights on current events and historical truths for the audience.

For the complete content of the latest “Elite Forum” episode, please watch online.