More mainland birth tourists seek American dream

(Ecns.cn)--As Hong Kong hospitals close their doors to mainland mothers-to-be, many are now choosing to give birth in the United States, where the Fourteenth Amendment says anyone born on American soil has the right to citizenship.

Altogether 5,000 Chinese women had babies in the States last year, according to China National Radio. The benefits are many, but skirting China's one-child policy is particularly enticing, since couples might otherwise face exorbitant fines by the Chinese government.

Moreover, "moms from the Chinese mainland believe the U.S. has better educational resources," says Robert Zhou, who along with his wife runs one of China's oldest and most successful consultancies in Shanghai, helping well-heeled expectant mothers travel to the U.S. to give birth.

Widely seen as more of a meritocracy than China, the U.S. is believed to be able to provide a fairer competitive environment for getting into good universities or landing high-paying jobs.

"The competition is too fierce on the mainland," Zhou says, adding that in 2010, about 10 million students battled for 6.6 million spots at Chinese universities.

"It's too hard to be a student on the Chinese mainland, where millions of people compete for limited senior high schools and colleges. Even if someone gets admitted to a university, they will still face great employment pressure after graduation," Wang, a mother-to-be, tells China Business News.

As a U.S. citizen, a child has access to free public education from primary school to high school, and a full education in the States can be much cheaper than at top Chinese private schools and universities, says Zhou.

"We want to provide our children with more choices. If they are born in the U.S. they will have more choices," says Wei Zhonghai, a wealthy mining boss who is paying tens of thousands of dollars to have his third child born in the States.

"We will also get better hospital service than if the baby is born in China," he adds.

Despite prices ranging from 100,000-250,000 yuan to give birth abroad – 20 times more than the average cost of having a child at home – it's still worth it since Hong Kong has tightened its policies, according to the managing director of the agency Wei and his wife visited.

Yet he believes he offers something more: a chance for rich Chinese to buy a slice of the American dream.

"China is really the future. But these families think that America will still be better than China, even in the coming years. It is not just about economics – it is about the environment," he says.

He insists that all services provided by his agency are legal, such as guiding prospective parents through visa applications, healthcare and accommodation. Supplemental services, such as English lessons, are extra.

Robert Zhou also says that everything they do is legal. "We don't encourage moms to break the law—just to take advantage of it. It's like jaywalking. The policeman might fine you, but it doesn't break the law."