'Tax me more' call goes viral

BEIJING - The remarks of a member of the top political advisory body at a group discussion about raising income tax rates for the rich, including himself, has become a widely popular soundbite and has created a strong following among thousands of micro-bloggers.

"I suggest imposing more taxes on people like us. We can handle a higher tax rate," Gan Lianfang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and president of Beijing Xingpai Group, said at a CPPCC panel discussion on Friday.

For his monthly salary of 30,000 yuan ($4,568), Gan said he paid 9,000 yuan in tax. "Authorities should tighten the rope on people like me, and give a break to people on low incomes," he said.