I came across a very interesting article in The Straits Times yesterday (September 24, 2013).  The headline read “Rich Chinese hire US women as surrogates”.  Accompanying the article was the picture of a beaming Mr. Tony Jiang, surrounded by his three offspring—a daughter and twin sons—all born from the same surrogate mother in the US!   

I was intrigued. Why would rich Chinese like to hire women in the US as surrogates rather than have their own children? I thought perhaps this was the case for the rich but infertile.  But, I was wrong! Rich couples perfectly capable of having children were apparently opting for children through surrogate US mothers! What could the reason be? Perhaps it was to avoid the pains of labor? Or, maybe the vanity surrounding the one’s figure, which could potentially be compromised as a result of having children.

But, no, these were not the reasons! The reasons provided by The Straits Times spoke volumes for the ingenuity of the Chinese.  Children born in the US are US citizens and upon reaching the age of 21 can sponsor their parents for a green card.  According to The Straits Times article, this is important for two reasons.  First, by having a green card one has a “bolt-hole overseas because of fears about more social unrest in China.” Second, a surrogate baby costs between US$120,000 and 150,000. This is a lot cheaper than getting an EB-5 visa, which requires a minimum investment in a job-creating business of US$500,000!