What's the fuss about studying abroad?

Some 80 percent of China's rich have plans to send their children abroad for studies, the highest percentage in the world, says a recent Hurun report. In contrast, less than 1 percent of rich Japanese have such a plan, and the ratios in France and Germany are less than 5 percent and about 10 percent, says the report titled "China Overseas Study 2014".

The Hurun report says Chinese children sent overseas for studies tend to be younger than their counterparts from other countries. The average age of children of multimillionaires sent abroad for studies is 18 years, and that of billionaires is 16. The most preferred destinations of such students are the United States and the United Kingdom, which together attract more than 50 percent of Chinese students. They are followed by Australia, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, Singapore, France, Japan and Germany.

Since the samples on which the report is based are not clear, it cannot be said with certainty that it reflects reality.